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THE GREAT HIGHWAY AND FAVORITE ROUTE FOR FASHIOSABLE PLEASURE TRAVEL. 

»iti?SlSf!?'.r?!I' ^'"'V;' S'efPliB 0»" leave Niagara FalU daily 8.10 p. m. for TlKjnamd iBlandii, making immediato connectionB at Clayton wiUiont tiamfor. ^ j.lo Boa 

TriUi powottul Bteam™ ot H.chebou ^ Ontario Navigation Co. tor Aiejandria Bay, Monlreal. Quebec and tlio lUvet Sagnonay, pausing aU the mouiiand I.lan£ WWonJ"" 

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connections at Norwood tor Massena Springs ; at Moira tor Paul Smith's and Adirondack resorts, and running through the heart of the Mountains via Fahvan'e -• 

and lamousCrawford^o^chtoPortIand, with Immediate connecUons tor Bar Harbor, Old Orchard, Konnebonkport and aU Soa Coast resorla ot Maine, This 

train stops at all principal resoriB in the White Mountains. chimney i 

Slcoping Cata on Night Trains and Drawing-Eoom Cars on Day Trains from Niagara FaUs, BochOBlor, SyraoMO md UHcd to Olayton [Thonsand lalandll, whcro - • 

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LOCAL DISTANCES. 

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Cape Vincent to Aleiftndrla Bay... 26 

•' " " Kingston 10 

" " " Gananoqne 18 

Alexandria Bay to Weatmlnflter 

Park 1 

" " '* Rockport 9 

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Names of Points indicated by Figures in Red. 

1. Oarllon Island 

2. Governor'e leiund Es-Licut.-Oov. T. G. AJvord. 

3. Calumet Island Mr. Chas. G. Emery, New York, 

4. Kock Island Light-HooBC, head of American Channel. 

, ) Occident and Orient E. B, Washburn, New York. 

°- J Isle of Pines Mrs. E. N. Robinson, New York. 

«. Frederick Island C. L. Fredericks, Cartlmge, N.T. 

7. Wellaley Honse. 

' Rev. Goodrich, LafargevlJle, N, Y, 

Arthur HugheB, Stone Mills, N. Y. 

Frederick Smith, Watertown, N. Y. 

L, a. Ainsworlh, Watertown, N. T. 

( Prof. A. n. Bro' 

J N D. FerpuBou, 

J John Norton, 

[ Hon. W. W. Bnttcrfleld, Redwood, N. Y. 



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Names of Points indicated by Figures in Red. 

10, Island Royal Royal E. Deane, New York. 

11, Seven lelee Bradley Winslow, Waterto^7n, N. Y, 

11. Poiut Vivian; Rezot Tozer, J.J. lilnney. Dr. Jones, 

Geo. Jonee, WUUam Cooper, and otiiere, Stone Milts, 
New York. 

13. Bella Vista Lodge P. J. Bosworth, Newport, B. I. 

14. Comfort Island A.E.Clark, Chicago. 

15. Warner Island H. H. Warner, Rochester, N.Y. 

,„ ^. „„ ,„,„„ , 1 A. B. FQllman, Chicago. 

10. Cherryleland i G. B. Marsh, 

17. Waa Winet./ C. E. Hill. Chicago. 

18. Nobby Island H. R. Heath, Now York. 

19. Welcome Island S. G. Pope, Ogdeneburij. 

30. Linlilhgow Island R. A. Livingston, New York. 

21. Bonnie Castle Holland Estate. 

22. lole Imperial Mrs. H. G. Le Conte, Phlladelphift. 

23. Point Marguerite £• Aathony, New York. 

24. Sport luJand Packer Estate. 

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A SOUVENIR 



S ThoMsand Islands 



OF THE 

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER 

FROM 

KINGSTON AND CAPE VINCENT TO 

MORRISTOWN AND BROCKVILLE 

WITH 

Their Recorded History from the Earliest Times, their Legends, their Romances, 
their Fortifications and their Contests 

INCLUDING BOTH THE 

/\rqGPleail and ©aqadiaq (Sl^aqr^Qls 

J^V^I ' PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED 

^ Ivifh Vieius of Natural Scenery, as well as Pictures of many Summer Villas, Steamers, 

Fishing Scenes, &c. 



J / Published, by 

JNO. A. HADDOCK, of Watertown, N. Y., 

A Native of Jefferson County, N. K 

Under the Patpoiiage of the Th(ousarid Island ©lub of /\le:jtar|di'ia Baj 



PRINTED AND BOUND BY THE 
WEED-PARSONS PRINTING CO., 

ALBANY, N. Y. 



ALEXANDRIA BAV, N. Y. 
1895 



ri-AV- 




COMMENDATORY. 



Office of CORNWALL BROS. 

Alexandria Bay, N. Y., October 31, 1894. 
Mr. John A. Haddock : 

Dear Sir — I have heard tliat 3'ou are about preparing an elaborate and highlj' illus- 
trated history of our river, to be sold as a more worth)' Souvenir of our river and islands 
than has yet appeared. I have for some years felt the want of such a book, many copies 
of which my sons could sell over their counter here if it could have been procured. 
Having known you personally many years, I have full faith in your ability and zeal for 
the preparation of such a work, and I wish you much success and encouragement in 
your labor, which will, I hope, be remunerative. 

Your friend, 

ANDREW CORNWALL, 

One of the orijjinal owners of all the American islands from Round Island to ■^Iornstovvn. 



Law Offices of JAMES C. SPENCER, 280 Broadway, New York. 

Mr. John A. Haddock, Watertown, N. Y.: 

My Dear Sir — Having heard you express your ideas as to a needed book which 
should suitably illustrate the natural beauties of the Thousand Island Archipelago of 
the St. Lawrence, with views of leading cottages and sketches of the individuals occu- 
pying them, I take pleasure in approving your plan, and do not hesitate, from my 
knowledge of you personally, to fully believe you will carry out all you undertake in 
making a book which will be a Souvenir to be treasured by all who can appreciate the 
grandest river and the most beautiful islands upon the globe. Wishing you great 

success, I remain, 

Very truly yours. 

Summer residence, JAMES C. SPENCER, 

Manhattan Island, Vice-President Thousand Island Club. 

Alexandria Bay, N. Y. 






COPYRIGHTED, 1895. 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



There have been many attempts to depict the Thousand Islands, with their ever- 
varying, changeful scenery, and the opulence of their later adornment. Some of these 
efforts have been honest but inefficient, some sporadic and fitful, others resulting only in a 
poor attempt to make money out of a subject too grand for such a purpose. And so, year 
after year, these Islands have lacked a chronicler and a delineator who should present 
important improvements as well as natural scenes upon the printed pictorial page. The 
inquiry for a book that should meet this constant and earnest demand for truthful delineation 
of the fairest spot on earth, has induced a few gentlemen, some of them connected with the 
Thousand Island Club, to prompt the undersigned to present to the public something that 
should measure up to the occasion. Accordingly the subscriber, who is the latest Jefferson 
County historian, has given his attention to the subject, and he now presents to the property- 
owners upon the river and to the vast number who yearly visit this region, the result of his 
labors, and he believes that it faithfully portrays the river and its islands as they exist to-day, 
as well as the grand improvements made and being made there. 

It is in no sense a money-making scheme, the promoters being only desirous that the 
book shall pay its own way, as it should, and be a fair representation, up to date, of the 
Islands of the St. Lawrence and their present environment, and be at the same time, also, 
a fair illustration of the progress made up to 1894 in the art of typography and artistic 
decoration. 

In this sijirit, then, this Book is issued, in the full belief that it will fill a want which has 
been felt for the past three years among the intelligent and appreciative class who come 
annually to this section, the importance of which appears now to be permanently established. 

JNO. A. HADDOCK, 

Address on the River, Watertown, N. Y. 

"Care of Cornwall Bros.," 

Alexandria Bay, N. Y. 






I 



THE HAPPY ISLANDS. 

Bv George C. Bragdon. 



There, where a Thousand Islands sleep, 
Come pulsing from Niagara's leap 
The blended lakes with tireless sweep — 
Vast lakes, which float the grain and ore 
Of mighty States from shore to shore, 
A thousand billowy miles and more. 

'Tis there the centering waters meet 
In rush sublime and beauty sweet, 
Which we with happy thrills shall greet — 
We who in fevered towns have sighed 
For green and watery spaces wide. 
And Nature's murmuring love beside. 

Ah, here they are! The river here. 
Swift, slow, tumultuous, crystal-clear, 
Lapping the islands which uprear 
Their rocky heads with crests of trees. 
Has sure enchantments to release 
The heart, and change its pain to peace. 

Hail ! River of the Thousand Isles ! 

Which so enchants and so beguiles 

With countless charms and countless wiles ; 

Flow on unpent, forever free 

And pauseless to the ocean-sea 

Which belts the globe's immensity. 

Not there our goal. Here, here we stay 
Amid the islands green and gray. 
Nor strive, but idly float and play 
Along the river's glints and gleams, 
And yield to reveries and dreams 
With which the quickened fancy teems. 

Here where the airs are always pure. 
And wave and earth and sky allure, 
And whisper, " Let the best endure," 
The wiser thoughts and instincts grow. 
Hearts truer feel and surer know, 
And kindle to a tenderer glow. 

St. Lawrence River, here we rest. 
And here we end our wandering quest 
To reach the Islands of the Blest. 
Where Nature's sweetest sweets abound 
Are sacred waters, sacred ground — 
The Earthly Paradise is found! 



1 



■®^ 



«A> 



THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



INTRODUCTORY AND DESCRIPTIVE. 



/^HERE is in Nor 
T^ river, having its 



Drtli America a mighty 
iiead in remote lakes, 
which though many in number, are yet so 
great that one of tliem is known as the largest 
body of fresh water on the globe — ■ with a 
flow as placid and pulseless as the great 
Pacific itself, yet as swift in places as the 
average speed of a railway train. Its waters 
are pure and azure-hued, no matter how many 
turbid streams attempt to defile them. It is 
a river that has no freshets nor scarcely any 
drying up, no matter how great the rain or 
snow-fall or how severe the drouth on all its 
thousand miles of drainage or of flow — so 
grand and yet so lovingly beautiful as to 
enthral every appreciative soul. 

It rises in the great fresh-water sea, and 
ends in the great Atlantic — some places ten 
miles wide, at others less than a mile. This 
great river has never as yet had a respectable 
history, nor more than an occasional artist to 
delineate its beauties. It runs for very many 
miles between two great nations, yet neglected 
by both, though neither could be as great 
without it — a river as grand as the La Plata, 
as picturesque as the Rhine, as pure as the 
Lakes of Switzerland. Need we say that this 
wonderful stream is the St. Lawrence, the 
noblest, purest, most enchanting river of all 
God's beautiful earth ? 

This noble stream drains nearly the whole 
of that vast region lying between the 41st and 
49th degrees of north latitude, and the 60th 
and 93d parallels of longitude — a region per- 
haps not as extensive nor as productive as 
that drained by the mighty Mississippi, yet the 



flow of water in the St. Lawrence must exceed 
that in the Mississippi, for the current in the 
former is rapid, while the latter, except in 
great freshets, is contented with a medium 
flow. Rising in 49° north latitude, the waters 
of the St. Lawrence flow down through their 
many lakes to near the 41st parallel, whence 
they are impinged towards the north, and at 
Cape Vincent take an almost northeast course, 
following that general direction until they 
reach the great sea — entering it on almost 
the same meridian of longitude that crosses its 
remote source in British North .A.merica. Why 
its history has so long remained unwritten, 
and why this noble river is not more generally 
known, is perhaps accounted for in part by 
the fact that the St. Lawrence traverses a 
region of country remote from the great 
thoroughfares of the world's commerce or 
trade. It lies along the boundary line of 
business. Its banks, to be sure, are dotted 
here and there with thriving towns and cities, 
several of considerable importance in the 
world's traffic, but its grand use is in connect- 
ing the great lakes with the ocean. The region 
through which it passes is one of great interest. 
The geological formation attracts the atten- 
tion of the student and the artist. It bears on 
its face the unmistakable traces of a primeval 
condition, found nowhere else on our con- 
tinent, and probably not in more striking 
beauty anywhere on the face of the globe. Its 
picturesque windings, pure water, wonderful 
atmosphere, and great and varied beauty of 
scenery, are witnessed in such wonderful and 
lavish profusion nowhere else. 



A SOUVEMR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



The air is an element of more worth than 
weight, and exceeds all others in its ability to 
impart pleasure and comfort, as well as to pain 
and annoy. Every pleasure or pain is affected 
by the quality of the air we breathe. The 
atmosphere has not only to do with our tempo- 
ral happiness and comfort, but it has very 
much to do with making character. It has 
been observed that the inhabitants of high, 
rugged countries, who breatiie the clear, pure 
air of heaven, are those who come nearest to 
living the lives of noble freemen. The spirit 
of liberty and honor is said to inhabit the 
mountains, while the spirit of dependence, 
sloth and venality is found in the humid, 
luxurious low countries ; and as man, so nature 
partakes of that spirit and element which build 
up and beautify. The air of the St. Lawrence 
region is one of its greatest attractions. It is 
pure, clear and invigorating. The early dawn 
and the evening twilight there are among the 
loveliest on the globe. 

Next to air in importance comes water, the 
eldest daughter of creation. It was upon the 
water that the spirit of creation first moved. 
It is coupled with water that the greatest 
beauty in nature is found. It is the element 
that God commanded to bring forth living 
creatures abundantly ; the element without 
which all creatures on land, as well as those 
within its folds, must perish. Moses gives it 
the first place, and justly so, because out of it 
all things came. Nowhere is there a stream 
which resembles the St. Lawrence in the 
particular feature of its purity and the rare- 
fying influences of the atmosphere. Through- 
out its entire length this great stream has the 
clearness and purity of a mountain spring, and 
the water and air combine to make more 
beautiful and enjoyable those natural attrac- 
tions in scenery for which it is fast becoming 
known to the traveler and the world in general. 
Yet its wonderful breadth of attractiveness, in 
all its wide range, is even more imperfectly 
understood. 

If the waters of the St. Lawrence are 
attractive and full of enjoyment and recrea- 
tion for the pleasure-seeker, its thousands of 
beautiful islands present pictures grand and 



sublime — pictures of wiiich the poet-painters 
have only dreamed. Its romantic and un- 
written history is only an attractive field in 
which facts assume the air of fiction. The 
romance of American history is an interesting 
and important harvest, which is fast passing 
away, and soon will be lost forever, unless 
garnered into the great treasure-house of the 
printed page, where it can be preserved for 
the coming ages. No section of the continent 
is the scene of events more important and 
numerous, in our unwritten history, than that 
through which this great river flows. For 
it has been the principal artery along which 
the pulse of civilization throbbed for ages in 
its struggles to penetrate the unknown region 
of the inland seas of the far West. 

Its civilization is older than that of any 
other section of the continent. The scenes 
and struggles on its banks have been nobler, 
grander and more persistent than those of any 
other section. Nowhere else can be found such 
determined and Herculean efforts. Coupled 
with this, in turn, have come some of the 
sublimest and grandest examples of Christian 
faith and forbearence to be found anywhere, 
for the civilization and conversion of the 
native North American and the possession of 
this continent. Almost every village and 
hamlet — especially of the lower portion of 
the river — has a history full of stirring records, 
important in the first settlement of this conti- 
nent, while the upper St. Lawrence is closely 
identified with all the leading events of the 
early history of our own country ; and, in 
addition to this, has an interesting local his- 
tory, illustrative of the events and trials un- 
dergone by a struggling pioneer people for 
the enjoyment of the priceless boon of Liberty. 

To reach back down the line of years past, 
and gather up the forgotten and almost lost 
scenes and incidents, and weave about these 
newly-discovered sources of beauty and popu- 
lar resources of pleasure the history of early 
days and discoveries, and preserve it all, em- 
bellished by the hand of the artist, for future 
ages, is not a work of ease, though we have 
found it a work of pleasure. History will take 
us back more than fifteen hundred years, and 



INTRODUCTORY. 



9 



we find that there are few martyrs in the 
Church of Rome whose name or fame rests upon 
a more lasting or better foundation than that 
of St. Lawrence. And yet in the New World 
it has found a fame and foundation that shall 
be admired long ages after the story of his 
deeds and even the holy church which canon- 
ized his bones may have been forgotten. It 
is gratifying to know that the object of our 
adoration is so honorably and worthily chris- 
tened, although in learning this we are re- 
minded of the ceaseless spirit of change 
written upon all things. St. La/zrence the 
martyr has become St. Lawrence the river. 

The stereotyped falsities of history are very 
many in America, and they creep upon us with 
our eyes wide open. They come because 
legend has taken the place of fact. The writer 
who would dare seriously to dispute the claim 
of Columbus to the honor accorded him for 
nearly three hundred years, would be bold in- 
deed ; and yet the position that he was not the 
discoverer of America has been attempted to 
be maintained. The Pilgrims landed at Ply- 
mouth Rock, and came to found a government 
where they could enjoy religious freedom and 
liberty, and open an asylum for the oppressed 
of all other countries. But long before them 
there came a colony whose sole purpose was 
TO FISH ; and the nation they founded has vied 
with the others, and grown mighty and formid- 
able in wealth and greatness. It seems not 
altogether unlikely that the American nation 
may develop characteristics which will be better 
evidence of its origin and the original purpose 
of its founders than can be found in the piety 
or exalted purpose of the Pilgrims. So, every- 
where, the great incentive to explore and ex- 
tend government bounds and influence has 
been that gain might follow. 

As early as 1500, great fleets of British and 
Norman sailors visited Newfoundland, whose 
cod-fisheries were even then known through- 
out the Old World. The coasts of Newfound- 
land and Labrador were visited many times by 
these great fleets before any attempt was made 
at exploring the Gulf of St. Lawrence or the 
river, even at its mouth. The Spaniards had 
then begun to seek for treasure on the south 



west coast of America. Faint glimpses of the 
great father of waters liad gone out to the 
world, and strange stories came from the 
Indians of its source and the great lakes be- 
yond. Jesuit missionaries, little by little, 
dared to penetrate the great unknown, and 
suffer the cruelties and hardships of life in a 
wilderness teeming with savage men and 
beasts. Spain was pushing her researches, 
and the Old World was filled with reports of 
strange people and of a strange land. Of 
course, fiction and romance are never idle, 
and they clothed the whole in wonderful 
beauty and decked the New World with gold, 
precious stones and gems of rarest worth and 
excellence. 

It was under these circumstances that Jac- 
ques Cartier, a French sea captain, in 1534, 
came with two vessels to explore the great 
river that empties through the Gulf into the 
Atlantic, which had been known by the Lab- 
rador and Newfoundland fishermen for nearly 
a hundred years. He landed at the mouth of 
the river in the Spring, and had not proceeded 
far — in fact, had not entered the river at all 
— before he became satisfied that the Span- 
iards had been there before him ; and as he 
progressed further, he found unmistakable 
evidence that these restless, undaunted ex- 
plorers had several times visited those shores 
in search of mines. They had ascended the 
river some distance, but abandoned the search 
after amusing themselves by cruel treatment 
of the innocent natives. It is claimed by some 
that the name of Canada comes from a corrup- 
tion of their expression of disgust and dis- 
appointment — "Aca-Nada " (here is nothing), 
which the natives picked up and held on to, 
without knowing its meaning, for the purpose 
of designating the place and associating with 
it the strangers who came. Whatever may be 
the merit or truth of this story, it has the 
autliority of the oldest and best historian of 
Canada (Heriot). 

Cartier returned to France during the Sum- 
mer, having accomplished little or nothing by 
his journeying. The next year he made an- 
other voyage to the Gulf, which was almost as 
barren of results as his first one. He effected 



lO 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWREMCE RIVER. 



a landing on the north entrance of the great 
river, and called the place St. Nicholas, which 
name it still bears. He also named a bay on 
the same coast St. Laurence, for the reason 
that he entered the bay on the loth of August 
^ St. Laurence's fast-day. Thence the name 
has spread the entire length of the river. The 
Spaniards were the first to explore the river, but 
by a strange coincidence, a Frenchman names 
it after a saint of Spanish birth and education. 

Cartier passed up the river on this voyage 
as far as where Montreal is now situated, and 
there he remained during the Winter, becom- 
ing acquainted with the natives, trading with 
them and studying their habits, customs and 
language. This point was at that time some- 
thing of an Indian village, under the name of 
" Hochelaga. " In the Spring he returned to 
France, and for four years the wars and inter- 
nal troubles of his own country prevented any 
further visits or explorations. 

About 1542 King Francis First issued letters 
to Francis de la Roque, Seigneur de Robervale, 
giving him power of the King over " Canada, 
Hochelaga, Saguenay, Terre Neuva, Labra- 
dor," and other countries or "cities "of the 
New World. The commission was almost 
equal to the command to go forth and possess 
the earth. Six ships embarked in this expe- 
dition, Cartier accompanying it as chief cap- 
tain. A portion of the party settled at Que- 
bec, but the most of those who remained 
settled at Montreal — Cartier among the num- 
ber. The vessels returned to France laden 
with furs which were gathered during the 
Winter. The next year they came again, and 
found the little colony in good condition. 
Cartier then explored the river to the mouth 
of the Saguenay, and the new scenes could 
hardly be believed even by those who were in 
the midst, much less by those who listened to 
the report of them. This feeling is still shared 
in a pleasurable degree by those who behold 
for the first time the scenery of the lower St. 
Lawrence and its tributaries. A third expe- 
dition to Canada was undertaken two years 
after, under Roberval, but it proved a failure 
— all the ships being lost, and no survivor was 
left to tell the story. 



'I'he growth of the French colony was very 
slow, and its history is one of great hardships 
and privations. Tiie rigorous climate, the 
bloodthirsty and hostile natives, the great 
number of wild beasts, all combined to neu- 
tralize and circumscribe every effort at happi- 
ness, and even a tolerable existence was hardly 
attainable. Then follow the expeditions of 
Champlain, who traversed the discoveries of 
Cartier, and penetrated still farther west, and 
reached out to the north and south through 
the tributaries of the great river ; and for the 
first time the exploration of the country was 
begun in earnest. Companies were formed, 
and aid and assistance obtained from the 
French government, and large investments 
were made by capitalists and speculators. 
The Indian wars and massacres which followed 
have scarcely parallels in American history. 
The great tribes of Algonquins, Hurons and 
Iroquois roamed at will from the upper Missis- 
sippi to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and began 
to look with jealous eyes upon the incursions 
of the white man. The fur-trade began to be 
the great business of tlie colonists, and the St. 
Lawrence river was the thoroughfare by which 
the tribes from the lake country were enabled 
to reach Montreal, where they disposed of 
their stock of skins. It was by this trade that 
the river was really opened up to the adven- 
turous white man. 

The events of these years, and the progress 
of civilization are interesting; they are the 
very romance of American history, and per- 
tain to that which is fast becoming the most 
enjoyable and pleasing portion of our conti- 
nent in Summer. From the foot of Lake 
Ontario to Prescott is a continued stream of 
romance and beauty, which our artist will 
portray by his camera. Surely the region in 
Summer is one calculated to make us ask, as 
we move amid the delights, 

" Was it not dropt from heaven ?" 

Not a breath but bears enchantment; not a 
cliff but flings on the clear wave some image 
of delight. Every turn and motion of the 
boat brings new views, new scenes, new life : 
scenes that fascinate the eye, and pictures 



THE CHAIN OF TITLE. 



that draw the soul in wondering admiration 
to the great Artist Divine. Be it ours to 
muse on such scenes ; ours to glide through 
them from daybreak till the beautiful night 
creeps on and broods in solemn stillness over 
all. Through all the years of life the memory 
of such scenes last ; they come in dreams, and 
we revisit them in memory's treasure-house. 
They draw us nearer the really good and 
beautiful which we all some day hope to enjoy. 
The work in hand is one of importance to 
Canada and the United States, and is of espe- 
cial interest to persons who live within the 
section of country covered by it, as well as to 
all admirers of American scenery. The scope 
and design is sufficiently broad to comprehend 
everything of interest. The picturesque por- 
tions are within the limits named, and they are 
artistic. Views of scenery and of villas alone 
will make the work of great value. The scenes 
will not only be new, never before having 
been presented to the public in this comjjlete 
form — but the enjoyment and improvement 
of them by the pleasure-seekers who make the 
islands their permanent Summer homes, is 
also a new feature in American Summer-life, 
and adds very much to the natural beauty. 
These islands are petty kingdoms, lying in 
close and friendly proximity to each other — 
ruled by no power except the wishes, comfort 
and happiness of those who call them " Home." 
In the upper St. Lawrence there are over 
fifteen hundred of these islands. A large por- 
tion of them are owned by wealthy persons, 
many of whom have built upon them fine resi- 



dences, and laid out tasteful grounds. Within 
the past few years the improvements in this 
direction have been very great. One immense 
camp-meeting enterprise has called into exist- 
ence hundreds of fine cottages on the largest 
island, and many desirable residences on the 
lower end of the same, while every island, 
during the summer months, seems to bear its 
portion, if not of permanent Summer-homes, 
of transient tenting or camping jiarties. 
Skiffs and steam yachts being the only means 
of getting from island to island, or from an 
island to the main shore, they are of necessity 
numerous, and handsome and expensive ones 
are plenty. They move silently about, with 
fishing or visiting parties, in the day-time; 
and when the soft evening air, so peculiar to 
this region, has settled down, and the beautiful 
sunset faded out, the different islands will be- 
come illuminated ; boats loaded with happy 
pleasure-seekers glide about among them ; 
then it is that the search-light expedition gets 
in its weird work ; the music of bands and of 
voices floats out upon the pure, clear air, over 
the placid waters — and the heart cannot but 
respond in its fullest gladness. Nowhere on 
earth, away from the silent Adriatic, has the 
poet's dream of Venice been so fully, raptur- 
ously realized. For fully forty miles in the 
upper St. Lawrence (between Kingston, Cape 
Vincent and Brockville), where these islands 
are thickest, the scenery by day is grand and 
inspiring, while the illuminations, the music, 
the flashing boats and the festivities make 
the evenings enchanting. 



THE CHAIN OF TITLE, 



n^ HE importance of these islands, which 
T^ form the northwestern boundary of 
Jefferson county, demands historical considera- 
tion distinct and separate from the towns in 
which they are situated. Cape Vincent, Clay- 
ton, Orleans and Alexandria each claim a part 
of the islands, since they are mapped and de- 
scribed as belonging to the towns which front 
upon the river opposite. The islands proper 
really begin at Cape Vincent and Kingston, 



and extend to Morristown and Brockville, 
about thirty-eight miles below, and are about 
1,500 in number. 

'i'he author has been sometimes puzzled 
what to believe as he listens to diverse state- 
ments of the same general facts as related by 
different individuals. To understand the 
errors of many such statements, at once de- 
monstrates the tmreliability of oral testimony, 
and shows the imijortance of serious investi- 



14 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



gation before making a record for the printed 
page. It was once believed by many tiiat 
Wellsley Island was for a time held half-and- 
half by both Canada and the United States. 
The inconsistency of such a location of the 
dividing line between two governments will be 
apparent to the most casual observer. But 
under such misinformation there were numer- 
ous settlements by Canadians upon that im- 
portant island, claiming that they were within 
the limits of their own country. The truth 
is that in the treaty division of these islands 
there was no attempt to divide any island. 
The treaty called for a line running up the 
" main channel of the St. Lawrence," but 
when the commissioners came on to locate the 
line, they found two main channels, both 
navigable, though the southeast (the American) 
channel was by far the straightest, and is un- 
doubtedly the main channel of the river at 
that point; and so the commissioners "gave 
and took " islands under the treaty, Wellsley 
Island falling to the United States because so 
near its main shore, and Wolfe Island going"- 
to the Canadians for a similar reason. 

The place which this beautiful region holds 
in American history is second only to that 
occupied by New England and Plymouth 
Rock, while the memories and traditions which 
cluster around it are as thrilling and romantic 
as are to be found in the new world. Wars, 
piracy, tragedy and mystery have contributed 
to its lore. The people of the United States 
should ever bear in mind that this river was 
discovered by the Spanisli, conquered by the 
French, again conquered by the English, 
whose footprints have become indelible. That 
nation yet controls the whole river for long 
distances, and is half owner for yet other 
long distances. It is the grand highway for 
both Canada, England and America. May it 
ever remain such. 

The St. Lawrence was discovered by Jac- 
ques Cartier, the French explorer, in 1535, 
but he did not proceed further up the stream 
than to explore the St. Louis rapids above 
Montreal. There is much uncertainty as to 
the identity of the white man who first gazed 
upon the beautiful scene presented by the 



Thousand Islands. The early discoverers were 
less interested in scenery than in the practical 
things which pertained to navigation, trade 
and travel, and the spreading of Christianity. 
Champlain, in 1615, beginning at the western 
end of Lake Ontario, explored that lake and 
the St. Lawrence to Sorel river, thus passing 
through the Thousand Island region on to 
Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte. 

How or when or by whom the world's atten- 
tion was first called to this archipelago is cer- 
tainly a matter of doubt, but certainly at an 
early date it had impressed itself upon the lover 
of the grand and beautiful, for at least two 
centuries ago tlie French christened it " Les 
Mille Isles " — The Thousand Isles. The later 
and more completely descriptive Englisli name 
for it is "The Lake of a Thousand Islands." 
The St. Lawrence has marked the line of 
separation, and the Thousand' Islands have 
been the scene of some of the important cam- 
paigns in four great conflicts between nations. 
The first was the Indian war between the 
Algonquins and the Iroquois, wliich continued 
many years, with occasional intermissions. 
The second struggle was between the French 
and English, and some of its hostile meetings 
and victories and defeats took place among the 
islands and on the neighboring shores. In the 
American Revolutionary war with England, 
and that between the same forces in 18 12, the 
defense of this locality was of decided im- 
portance, but its joint occupancy was settled 
by the wise men of both countries. 

Some of the most exciting incidents of that 
disgraceful military adventure known as the 
Patriot War, with its intermittent outbreaks 
from 1837 to 1839, took place on this part of 
the river, notably the burning of the Canadian 
steamer Sir Robert Peel, on Wellsley Island, 
on the night of May, 29, 1838, and the battle 
of the Windmill, near Prescott, Ont., Novem- 
ber 13, of the same year. 

The development and wonderful increase in 
the value of these islands have been more 
especially due to influences which have origi- 
nated at Alexandria Bay. The islands were 
transferred to the State of New York through 
the several treaties with the aboriginies, follow- 



A RAIN 1 • DA ) ■ A T Till'. ISLANDS. 



15 



ing the same chain of title by which the main 
shore, from the Hudson to the St. Lawrence, 
came under the proprietary and governing con- 
trol of the State. The dividing line between 
the United States and Canada passes some- 
what arbitrarily among the islands, varying in 
size from a small pile of rocks covered by a 
few stunted trees, to others quite large — one 
of them (Wellsley Island) containing nearly 
10,000 acres of arable land. This valuable 
island was conceded to the United States un- 
der the treaty with England, negotiated at the 
close of the war for independence. The State 
of New York, by patent under its great seal, 
conveyed the islands to Colonel Elisha Camp, 
a distinguished citizen of Sackets Harbor, 
N. Y. In 1845 Azariah Walton and Chester- 
field Parsons purchased (not from Col. Camp, 
but from Yates & Mclntyre, of lottery fame, 
whose title carn^ from Camp), the northwest 
half of Wellsley Island and "all the islands in 
the American waters of the river St. Lawrence 
from the foot of Round Island (near Clayton) 
to Morristown," a distance of some thirty-five 
miles. The consideration was $3,000. Event- 
ually the Parsons interest was purchased by 
Walton, who became sole owner, and continued 
as such until the firm of Cornwall & Walton 
was established in 1853, when they purchased 
nearly the whole of the remaining half of 
Wellsley Island, and then that firm became sole 



owner of all these islands, having vested in 
them all the rights and title originally granted 
Colonel Camp by the State of New York. 
To Hon. Andrew Cornwall, for nearly fifty 
years at Alexandria Bay, and always its de- 
voted friend and advocate, is due the greatest 
credit for the movement which has devclojjed 
the Thousand Islands, and he is yet spared to 
greet each season the great company who 
come year by year to enjoy the grand river. 
A brief sketch of his life, as well as his por- 
trait will be appreciated. He is the jjatriarch 
of the American side of the upper St. Lawrence. 
The value of the islands was quite nominal 
until they fell under the new firm's control, 
and even for several years afterward. Event- 
ually there grew up a demand for them, and 
they were sold low, but with a clause in the 
conveyance requiring a cottage to be erected 
within three years. Col. Staples obtained as 
a free gift the grounds upon which he erected 
the Thousand Island House. As an indica- 
tion of the present value of at least one of 
these islands, it is now made public that 
$10,000 was offered and refused for an island 
sold by Cornwall & Walton for $100. The 
Canadian islands were not, of course, included 
in the grant to Camp, Yates & Mclntyre, or to 
Cornwall & Walton. A considerable number 
of these Canadian islands were lately sold I)y 
that Government. 



A RAINY DAY AT THE ISLANDS. 



^UNSHINE and daylight are at their best 
among these islands. But even a rainy 
day has its compensations. Then the men 
stay around the hotels, r./d devote themselves 
to the ladies, who are not so much given to 
fishing as are their escorts. The book that 
was but lately cast aside for something prom- 
ising greater zest, is now resumed at the 



and with friendly chat, not disguising an 
occasional yawn, the hour for an early dinner 
soon arrives, and after that comes the after- 
noon nap, the early tea and then the pleasures 
of the evening. Some dance, the young 
brides and the other bright ones who are very 
willing to become brides and share in the 
happiness they watch so intently, these steal 



turned-down page, and the promised letter is away to the darker corners of the verandas. 



thought of and leisurely written. The ladies 
gather upon the verandas of the hotels, and 
with crocheting and talk and exchange of ex- 
periences, pass away the time. Many predic- 
tions are made as to the duration of the rain. 



where confidences and an occasional pressure 
of the hand (possibly a kiss) may be indulged 
in without too much publicity. So, almost 
unflaggingly, the day passes away, and John, 
the oarsman, promising fair weather to-raor- 



i6 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



row, stillness and sleep creep over the happy 
company, who are willing to declare that even 
a rainy day is enjoyable among the Thousand 
Islands, where the soft outlines of the ever- 
varying shore are half hidden, half revealed 
through the rainy mist, as if waiting for the 
sun's enchanting power to develop their hid- 
den mysteries and reveal their entrancing, 
restful beauties. This is indeed that " Port 
of Peace," into which, when once you have 
sailed your boat, you are glad to stay, and you 
leave the spot with sad regrets, to be remem- 
bered always as the place where the soul is 
lifted up to God in glad thankfulness that He 
ever made such a resting spot for His weary 
children, who, through many pilgrimages in 
many lands, at last find here a spot that fills 
the hungry soul with satisfaction. 

Now, AS TO Health. 

All who have ever remained here for a week 
are conscious that after the third or fourth 
day there is a peculiar change in the system. 
If you have been troubled with insomnia, it 
begins to leave you, and natural, restful sleep 
asserts its sway. You like to sit and rest, 
your legs become lazy, and you are not at all 
anxious for long walks. The hotel's shady 
settees have become matters for considera- 
tion ; you conclude, after much argument, 
which is the easiest one, and best protected 
from the sun. You yawn often, and wonder 
what has come over you. You can lay down 
and take a nap at almost any hour after lo 
A. M. You languidly push aside the news- 
paper whose leaders only last week were read 
with the most intense interest. The spirit of 
Rest creeps upon you almost unawares, for 
your systein is being fed upon the ozone of 
this health-giving spot. The very air becomes 
an active ally in behalf of your overworked 
nerves, and before you are aware of it, you 
begin to fill up with reserve force, that shall 
stand you in good stead in the city's heat and 
push. 

These beneficial influences are within the 
reach of all. There are now hotels and 
boarding-houses at Alexandria Bay, Thousand 
Island Park, Clayton, Cape Vincent, West- 



minster Park, Round Island, and at many 
other resorts, where the poor man can find 
entertainment within his means, and the rich 
man, too (much as he is criticised), may also 
find comforts adapted to his desires. In 
former times there were only the more expen- 
sive resorts, and that kept away the middle- 
class of summer tourists. That is all changed 
now, and every condition except the chroni- 
cally poor can find boarding houses within 
their means. It will not be long before this 
great national Vacation Park, 38 miles long, 
will be eagerly sought by all conditions of 
society, from the skilled mechanic to the 
millionaire. 

The Value of Rest. 

Many people make the mistake of sup- 
posing that a summer vacation is not com- 
plete unless devoted to various sorts of 
physical exercise. It seems to be taken for 
granted that the energies of body and mind 
cannot be recuperated except by trips and 
diversions that call for muscular effort. Sum- 
mer resorts that do not offer such opportuni- 
ties are often thought to be wanting in proper 
attractions. There is another class of people, 
such as artists, teachers and clergymen, who 
seek places where they may pursue their 
usual work amid new surroundings. Under 
suitable restrictions perhaps no harm conies 
from this. Change of air and of diet are 
beneficial, and new faces and new scenery 
tend to break up the monotony of all toil and 
care. There are not enough people, however, 
who appreciate the value of a period of abso- 
lute rest, an entire cessation from activity. 
Just as land is better for being allowed to lie 
fallow, the physical and mental energies of 
man are better for being allowed to repose for 
a time. Nothing is lost by permitting mind 
and body each year to indulge thus in a few 
days' slumber. A short season spent in loung- 
ing about the Thousand Islands, watching the 
shifting water, or in idling in the woods and 
fields, with their fresh odors and changing 
views of hill and dale, light and shade, island 
and shore, as they intermingle and then sepa- 
ate, will often fill the frame with new vigor 




HON. liLUUIDGfc: G. MERICK, OV CLAYl ON. 

ONE OF THE I'lONEERS OF THAT TOWN, AND ONCE THE LARGEST VESSEL OWNER 
ON THE UrPER KIVER. 



HON. ELDRIDGE G. MERICK. 



'9 



and the mind with new impressions. Particu- too little leisure, stated a truth which inlelli- 

larly is such a change beneficial when the gent foreign visitors have frequently noted, 

thermometer is up among the nineties. Then, This warning has a special timeliness just at 

if ever, the energies should be carefully hus- present, and the seeker after a spot where the 

banded. The English philosopher who as- very soul may rest will find his El Dorado 

serted that Americans work too hard and take amonc; the Thousand Islands. 



HON. ELDRIDGE G. MERICK. 

It is fortunate for our history that we are which tliis boy carried on ]3rincipally, with 
able to present to our readers,, from an en- occasionally a little help from the ownei'. 
tirely reliable source, a very circumstantial His business, after getting through with the 
and accurate record of the life of one of work of the farm in the fall, was to chop and 
the great river's most widely known, distin- put up ten cords of wood before going to 
guished and able denizens, who rose from small school the first year, increasing it five cords 
beginnings to the very first rank in business each year until he got twenty-five cords, which 
and in citizenship. Indeed, the writer re- was all that was needed for the family. Eld- 
members no man in Jefferson county who was ridge attended the country school from three 
superior to Mr. Merick. There were two or to four months each winter, until seventeen 
three, Hon. Orville Hungerford, Hon. C. B. years of age, and then he commenced teach- 
Hoard, and perhaps Gen. Wm. H. Angel, who ing. When Mr. Clark went to St. Lawrence 
stood as high in probity and faithfulness to county in 1820, young Merick went with him, 
friends and to society, and were as patriotic remaining there until twenty-one years of age. 
and high minded as Mr. Merick, but he had Arriving at majority, the people with whom 
no " superior " in his adopted county, nor in he lived not being in a situation to do any- 
Northern New York, nor on the river. thing for him, he found it necessary to shift 

He was the fifth child in a family of nine for himself. His first effort was a contract 
children, si.x boys and three girls, and was for building a stone wall at Russell, St. Law- 
born March 6, 1802, in Colchester, Delaware rence county, after which he went to Water- 
county, N. Y., from which place he moved town, Jefferson county, working there for 
with the family to Sherburne, Chenango several months, and delivered the material 
county, at the age of about four years. The for the old stone Presbyterian church; thence 



section to which the family removed was 
almost an unbroken wilderness, with few in- 
habitants and no schools or opportunity for 
obtaining an education. The principal amuse- 



to Sackets Harbor, to work for Festus Clark, 
a brother of his former employer, as clerk in 
a small store. Remaining there for a short 
time, he went to Depauville, in the same capa- 



ment for a boy of his age was picking up the city, with Stephen Johnson, who had a coun- 

brush and burning it, preparing the land for try store, and was also engaged in the lumber 

crops. The first school he attended was at business for the Quebec market, 
the age of nine. The school held for only He remained with Mr. Johnson two years, 

four months. At the end of the four months superintending his lumber business largely, 

he was able to read a newspaper fairly well, and while there became acquainted with Mr. 

He continued at home, himself and brother Jesse Smith, who had been furnishing Mr. 

carrying on the farm, until eleven, at which Johnson with means to carry on his lumber 

time he went to live with a man named Clark. business. Mr. Johnson was unfortunate in 

That family had no children, and Eldridge business and failed at the end of two years, 

was treated as their own child. Mr. Clark and was sold out by the sheriff, which sale 

had a small farm on the Chenango river, was attended by Mr. Smith as a creditor, and 



20 



A SOm'ENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



knowing it threw young Merick out of em- 
ployment, he offered him a situation, which 
was gladly accepted. This was about 1826. 
Mr. Smith was doing a very large mercantile 
and manufacturing business for those times. 
After being with him for a little over a year, 
he sent Mr. Merick with a store of goods to 
Perch River, and the following Summer sent 
him to Quebec to look after his lumbering 
interests, and in the Fall of the same year 
offered him a partnership and an interest in 
the business, which was accepted, and so 
young Merick became the manager. The 
business developed into a pretty large one, 
devoted principally to lumber designed for 
the Quebec market, and also the building and 
running of vessels. The timber and staves, 
which were the principal business, were ob- 
tained about the head of Lake Ontario and 
Lake Erie, e.xtending into Lake Huron, and 
were transported by vessels across the lakes 
to Clayton, on the St. Lawrence, and there 
made into rafts for transportation to Quebec. 
Of these rafts there were several made up 
every year, amounting (according to their 
size) to 840,000 or $50,000 each. These rafts 
had to be made very strong to run the rapids 
of the river, seven or eight in number. Each 
stick of oak timber was tied up with large oak 
wisps, forming what was called a dram, and 
from ten to twenty or thirty drams in a raft. 
The rafts were propelled by a number of 
small sails, but usually went but little faster 
than the current. At the rapids a pilot and 
extra men were taken to conduct the raft 
through the rapids ; a pilot for each dram or 
section, the raft being divided into several 
sections for running the rapids. Sometimes a 
large raft required from 200 to 300 men. 
Frequently they would get broken up in the 
rapids and run ashore, attended with consider- 
able loss and expense in saving the pieces. 
Arriving at Quebec, they were usually sold on 
from two to six months' time, but the percent- 
age of loss by bad debts was very small. 
Better facilities were needed for transporting 
this square oak timber, and a shipyard was 
established at Clayton. After Mr. Smith re- 
moved to Ohio, Mr. Merick continued the 



timber trade, adding forwarding and grain 
business, associating with Messrs. Fowler and 
Esselstyn. 

The business in the winter was arranging 
and superintending the shipments, selecting 
the timber in the country, and getting it for- 
warded for shipping, and in building vessels, 
of which the firm generally had one or more 
on the stocks. They built, with one or two 
exceptions, all the steamboats forming the 
justly celebrated line on Lake Ontario and the 
River St. Lawrence, on the American side. 

The " Reindeer " fleet, which at one time 
numbered fourteen vessels, were built at his 
Clayton yard ; also three steamers of the 
Ontario Navigation Company, all of them hav- 
ing his careful supervision. 

With D. N. Barney & Co., he built, about 
1S44, the steamer Empire, to run between 
Buffalo and Chicago. Her increased tonnage 
and decks attracted much attention, with many 
prophecies of failure, but she jsroved a success 
and was the vanguard of the fine fleet of lake 
transports. 

When the Grand Trunk Railroad was built, 
however, following up the St. Lawrence and 
Lake Ontario, the competition ruined the 
business of these passenger steamers. The line 
ceased to be remunerative, and the boats were 
sold, some to go to Montreal ; one went to 
Charlestown, S. C, and afterwards was en- 
gaged in the rebel service in the war of the 
rebellion. 

He had previously established a house in 
Cleveland, one in Oswego and one in Buffalo, 
the object being to furnish business for the 
vessels on the lakes^ Each additional facility 
only showed the necessity of still further facili- 
ties. The firm decided to build a large flour- 
ing mill in Oswego, which had the largest 
capacity of any mill in the country at that time, 
turning out from 1,000 to r,2oo barrels a day, 
and having thirteen runs of stone. 

He was interested in railroad building in 
Ohio, but it was before the days of floating 
bonds and watering stocks, but not of incom- 
petent, reckless superintendents. The enter- 
prise was a failure. But through their railroad 
enterprise the firm was enabled not only to con- 



HON. ELDRIDGE G. MERICK. 



21 



trol the wheat over the road and to market by 
vessels, but for the mill at Oswego. During 
the war, or at the close, the mill was making 
very large profits, from Si to $2 a barrel, but 
unfortunately it took fire and burned down, 
with a large stock of grain and flour on hand. 
The loss was pretty well protected by insurance, 
but the profit which they would have made if 
the mill had not burned down, could not have 
been provided for. The actual loss was 
nearly $150,000. 

Perhaps his first and greatest financial loss 
was through the failure of a large commission 
house (Suydam, Sage & Co.) in New York, in 
1850. But that loss brought generous and 
prompt proffers of aid from business men in 
Watertown, Kingston and Quebec, which were 
long after most gratefully remembered. The 
great financial disasters of 1857 and 1S73 also 
brought misfortune to him, as well as to many 
others. He was greatly helped in all these re- 
verses by the confidence that his creditors had 
in his ability and strict integrity, steadily re- 
fusing compromises when offered. He paid 
dollar for dollar, though often at great sacri- 
fice of property. For many years Mr. Merick 
was president of the Sackets Harbor Bank, 
relinquishing the position on leaving Jeffer- 
son county. 

For many years he found Clayton was too 
much at one side for the prompt and success- 
ful management and oversight of his varied 
interests. He was strongly attached to the 
people of Jefferson county and the beautiful 
St. Lawrence, and it was with many regrets 
that he left his old friends and pleasant home, 
with all the associations of youth and manhood, 
to make a home, in 1859, at the more central 
point, Detroit. Here he took an honored 
position among the business men of the city, 
many of whom sought advice from him, glad 
to profit by his large experience. In addition 
to other business, he bought an interest in the 
Detroit Dry Dock Company for the firm of 
Merick, Esselstyn & Co. John Owen, Gordon 
Campbell and Merick, Fowler & Esselstyn 
each owned one-third of the Dry Dock stock — 
the total stock being $300,000. 

Mr. John Fowler, a partner of the firm of 



Merick, Fowler & Esselstyn, died in May, 1879. 
The surviving partners purchased his interest 
in the business, and continued under the name 
of Merick, Esselstyn & Co. 

After the failure of 1873, Mr. Merick was 
too old a man to again do business with his 
former confidence and success. 

In 1829 Mr. Merick married Miss Jane C 
Fowler. She died in i88f, leaving four sur- 
viving children — all of whom have proven 
useful and honored members of society. 

Mrs. Cyrus McCormick, who was Mr. Mer- 
ick's niece, was the daughter of Melzar Fow- 
ler, born at Brownville, N. Y., and survives 
her distinguished husband, who was that C. 
H. McCormick, so long the leader in manu- 
facturing reapers for the harvest field, whose 
machines have gone into all lands. He was 
the one to introduce that inestimably valuable 
machine into England, as is so well spoken of 
in Haddock's History. 

Mr. Merick was very early interested in the 
temperance movement. It had been the cus- 
tom to put whisky among the necessary stores 
for every raft and vessel. He very soon real- 
ized the injury it was doing, made liquor a 
contraband article, supplied tea and coffee in- 
stead, and made it his personal duty to visit 
cabin and forecastle, to confiscate and throw 
overboard any spirits smuggled on board. 

The sailors who manned his vessels came 
from the adjacent farms and villages. Young 
men, beginning as cabin boys, or before the 
mast, were frequently advanced as they proved 
worthy and capable to be mates, captains and 
shareholders, and all looked up to him as to a 
personal friend and father. 

One who had sailed for him thirty-five years 
wrote: " The accounts for these years aggre- 
gated more than half a million of dollars, but 
never an error to the value of a cent in his books, 
never a sour look or unkind word. I was 
always treated more as an equal than as a ser- 
vant." Another who served him forty years 
said : " I have received from him nothing but 
kindness. When in need of aid or counsel his 
generous heart always responded to my wants. 
In prosperity and adversity, sunshine and 
storm, he was always true to principle, and 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RD'ER. 



true to himself as a man, ever following the 
Golden Rule." 

Mr. Merick had no political aspirations, be- 
yond wishing to do the best possible for his 
own township, of which he was several times 
supervisor. He was a strong Whig, and gave 
money, time and influence to promote the in- 
terests of that party. Twice he was nominated 
for Congress, and ran ahead of his ticket; 
once both parties wished to unite upon him as 
their candidate, but his business interests 
would not permit him to accept the nomina- 
tion. He was also one of the Electoral Col- 
lege, voting for President William H. Harrison. 

The title of judge was given him when he 
was appointed associate judge of Jefferson 
county, but he felt that it rightfully belonged 
only to a man of legal training and ability. 

The Patriot War of 1837-3S caused much 
trouble and anxiety all along the border, and 
brought together many of the best men of 
Northern New York and Canada to council 
together and take such measures as would in- 
sure peace. 

One of the Canadian members of that com- 
mittee of arbitration wrote : " How much the 
high character and the confidence inspired by 
your father in Canada, assisted in allaying the 
irritation which existed on both sides of the 
line. To him many misguided men owe their 
deliverance from extreme peril. I well re- 
member the effect upon my own mind, not a 
little exasperated at the time, by his explana- 
tions as to the sincere, but mistaken views 
which induced many good and worthy people 
to engage in or extend aid to what they sup- 
pose to be a movement in assisting the op- 
pressed." 

Mr. Merick, deploring his own inability to 
obtain a collegiate education, was ready to aid 
young men with such aspirations. The suc- 
cess of many business men was owing to the 
counsel and substantial aid he gave. Academ- 
ies, colleges, churches, public and private 
charities were cheerfully aided by him as "the 
Lord prospered him." 

His noble, courtly bearing, his unassuming 
manner, his thoughtfulness, tenderness and 
benevolence, his faithfulness and integrity 



make a rich legacy to children and children's 
children. 

It had always been his thought that a busi- 
ness man should keep at work till the end of 
life. In the winter of 1887-88, realizing from 
his advanced years that his strength was fast 
failing, he decided to sell the remaining vessels 
of the fleet. Friday, February 10, 18S8, the 
contract was made for selling the last one. 
Saturday, February 11, the papers were to be 
signed. He tarried a little in the morning, 
perhaps not quite as well as usual, after a 
somewhat restless night — his mind no doubt 
busy with reminiscences of the past, and sad- 
ened by the change of affairs. The mail 
brought news from absent loved ones. While 
talking with his daughter, sitting beside him, 
of the good tidings received, his head dropped, 
one sigh was given, "the silver cord was 
loosed," " the golden bowl was broken," — he 
had gone from his work to his rest and his 
reward. 

Thus passed away, after an honorable and 
a useful life, one of the most widely-known 
and justly-honored of the river men, who 
came to man's estate in Jefferson county, and 
spent the flower of his life there. His death 
occurred at Detroit, February 11, 1888, in his 
86th year. 

Mr. Merick and wife reared a family of 
four children. They were : 

Maria D., wife of Isaac L. Lyon, a native 
of Ogdensburg, N. Y. They reside at Red- 
lands, Cal. 

Ermina G. Merick, wife of E. J. Carring- 
ton, of Fulton, N. Y. They reside at Detroit, 
Mich. 

Melzar F. Merick, died March 28, 1893. 
His wife was Mary Whittlesey, of Danbury, 
Conn. 

Jeannie C, wife of G. N. Ciiaffee, of De- 
troit, Mich., which is their home. 

Mr. Merick was in many respects a pecu- 
liarly able man, and should be spoken of 
apart from his many business enterprises. 
Judgment was the leading quality of his mind. 
To strangers he appeared reserved, the result 
of his native modesty, and not the outgrowth 
of any feeling of superiority or of self-elation. 




^/^, 



HON. ANDREW CORNWALL. 



25 



His soul was too great and his judgment too 
solid for any such folly as that. He was emi- 
nently democratic, simple in his manners and 
his tastes, as have been all the really great 
men the writer has encountered. Mr. Merick 
was not a sharer in the command of armies^ 
nor is it probable that he ever knew what it 
was to be thrilled by a bugle call or beat of 
drum ; yet he intensely appreciated the 
struggle endured by the Union armies, whose 
perils he would surely have shared had he 
been of suitable age. He was a patriot in the 
highest sense of that term. Amidst all the 
duties of his exacting business, he was a con- 
sistent Christian ; the traveling Methodist 
minister always found a welcome at his fire- 
side, both from him and his amiable wife, a 
fact the writer has heard the late Rev. Gard- 
ner Baker speak of with grateful tears. Mr. 
Merick's unostentatious and democratic ways 
made him life-long friends, for his manner in- 



vited confidence, and confidence in him meant 
safety. Children and animals never shunned 
his society, for they intuitively perceived his 
gentleness under his greatness. Viewed in 
any light, as a man of affairs, the possessor 
and dispenser of large wealth, as the unosten- 
tatious but ever vigilant citizen of a free 
country, or as the sincere Christian, he pos- 
sessed so many excellencies that he fell but 
little short of earthly perfection. He left a 
memory in Jefferson county that remains 
peculiarly sweet, and entirely untarnished. 
And it is fitting to hold up such a character to 
the admiration of the youth who come after 
him, as an evidence that the age in which he 
lived was not altogether one of greed and 
monev-getting, but was adorned now and then 
by souls as grand as can be found in the re- 
cords of any people. And so Eldridge G. 
Merick passes into history as one of the very 
ablest and best of his time. 



HON. ANDREW CORNWALL. 



Andrew Cornwall, the ancestor of Andrew 
Cornwall of Alexandria Bay, emigrated to this 
country from England with his family, some- 
where about 17 10, and settled in Old Chatham, 
Conn, (now Portland), where three genera- 
tions of the same name lived and died. The 
third Andrew Cornwall, grandfather of our 
subject, was a soldier in the Revolutionary 
War, and died after the close of the war, from 
a wound received at Bennington. 

Andrew Cornwall, the father of our subject, 
with two brothers, William and Ancil, left Con- 
necticut about 1800, and came to what at that 
time was called the Far West, or Genesee 
country. Their first stop was at what is now 
the city of Rochester, where there was a small 
settlement; but thinking it was not a good 
place to locate, they went to what is now Pult- 
neyville, Wayne county, N. Y., where there 
was another small settlement with a saw mill 
and grist mill. Here they located and married, 
and here our subject was born March 25, 1814. 
After attending the district school winters, and 
working on the farm summers, until thirteen 



years old, he entered the country store of John 
Reynolds, and continued in his employ for 
thirteen years as clerk and book-keeper. His 
health failing him from a too close application 
to business, he purchased a small vessel and 
went on the lakes as a sailor. After three years 
of this business, his health being fully restored, 
he sold his vessel and left the water. In 
January, 1843, he was married to Mary C. 
Calhoon. She was a daughter of Capt. Cal- 
hoon, of Williamson, Wayne county, who was 
a pensioner of the War of the Revolution, and 
a captain in the war of 1S12. 

In July, 1844, he moved to Redwood, N. Y., 
and entered the employ of DeZeng & Burlin- 
game, manufacturers of glass. He was in 
charge of their store for two and a half years. 
In November 1846, at the solicitation of Aza- 
riah Walton, he moved to Alexandria Bay, and 
took an interest in the firm of L. A. Walton & 
Co., which continued until 1853, when L. A. 
Walton died. A new firm was then organized, 
under the name of Cornwall & Walton (John 
F. Walton being the junior partner), which 



26 



A SOUl'ENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



partnersliip continued until April i, 1877, 
when both Cornwall and Walton retired from 
business, and the firm of Cornwall Brothers 
was established, consisting of the four sons of 
Andrew Cornwall, viz.: Andrew C, Charles W., 
John I., and Harvey A. This firm is still in 
business, and very popular, dealing in every- 
thing required in a country store. 

Andrew Cornwall was supervisor from 1852 
to 1856, and again from 186 1 to 1865. Being 
a war Democrat, he was made a member of 
the war committee of the county, though the 
board was largely Republican. He served the 
committee faithfully in recruiting and filling 
the quotas of his own town and the county. 
In 1867 he was nominated by his party for 
member of Assembly, and although his com- 
petitor was elected the year previous by a large 
majority, Mr. Cornwall was successful. While 
in the Legislature of 1868 he was a member of 
the Committees of Ways and Means, of the 
Manufacture of Salt, and of the Sub-committee 
of the Whole. In 1868 he was a candidate 
for Congress against Hon. A. H. Laflin; his 
party being largely in the minority he was de- 
feated by a very small majority, though he 
could have been elected if his friends had had 
ten inore days for work. 

In 1845 Azariah Walton bought of Henry 
Yates, of the well-known firm of Yates & 
Mclntyre, of New York city, the north half of 
Wellsley Island, and all the small islands in the 
river St. Lawrence in American waters, from 



Round Island, in Clayton, to the village of 
Morristown, St. Lawrence county. At his 
death, the firm of Cornwall & Walton bought 
them from his estate, for the timber, and for 
many years they cut steainboat wood from 
them, some years getting as high as 16,000 
cords. After the wood was mostly cut off, the 
larger ones were sold for farms. In i860 wood 
began to give way to coal, and they determined 
to sell their lands at a nominal price to induce 
people to build summer homes, and thus make 
the St. Lawrence river a famous watering place, 
in which plan they succeeded to a remarkable 
extent, as is apparent to-day. 

Mr. Cornwall commenced his business 
career with very limited means, but with a de- 
termination to succeed. With close attention 
to every detail, and a constant care that no 
debt should be made that could not be met 
wlien due, and no unnecessary expense in- 
curred, he has succeeded in his determination 
to attain a reasonable competency. 

He has never been an ostentatious man, 
though in business matters he has always been 
energetic and prompt, exacting from others 
only what he would himself do if in their 
place. The example of such a life is a bene- 
fit to any community. 

Mrs. Cornwall died August 13, 1890, after 
she had seen her four sons located in business 
at her home for thirteen years, and enjoyed 
her grandchildren playing about her knees, and 
their father the most useful man on the river. 



HON. JAMES 

Ex-Judge New York City Superior Court, is an- 
other of the men who have done much to em- 
bellish nature. An extended account of his 
lovely property, "Manhattan," may be found 
elsewhere. He is a native of Fort Coving- 
ton, Franklin county, N. Y. His father, the 
late Judge James B. Spencer, was one of the 
early settlers of Franklin county, and was a 
prominent and respected citizen and recog- 
nized political leader in the northern part of 
the State, having held many important posi- 
tions, including that of Judge and Representa- 



C. SPENCER, 

tive in the State and National Legislatures. 
He also distinguished himself in the War of 
i8i2, participating actively in the important 
engagements of that contest, including the 
battle of Plattsburg. In politics he was a 
Democrat of the Jefferson, Madison, and 
Jackson school. He was the personal friend 
and colleague of Silas Wright, and was recog- 
nized and appreciated by that great man and 
other prominent Democrats of the State of 
New York, as an intelligent and reliable po- 
litical coadjutor, in the struggles of more than 







'-'-'*^' 




/^^^^'^tS-/ 




Allai'ic PubLshingSEn"rev;"g L^ N,Y. 



HON. JAMES C. SPKA'CKK. 



a quarter of a century to secure and ]>erpetu- 
ate Democratic ascendancy in the State. He 
also enjoyed the confidence and esteem of all 
his fellow-citizens who knew him, without re- 
gard to political differences. He died in the 
year 1848, at the age of sixty-eight. 

This branch of the Spencer family and that 
represented by the late Chief Justice Ambrose 
Spencer, and his son, Honorable John C. 
Spencer, were kindred, and claim a common 
ancestry. The family emigrated to New York 
from Connecticut, their original place of set- 
tlement in the New World, springing from an 
English ancestor, William Spencer, who came 
to Cambridge, Mass., before or early in the 
year 1631. 

It appears that he returned to or visited 
England afterwards, for he married his wife, 
Alice, in that country about the year 1633. 
He was again a resident and a prominent man 
in Cambridge in 1634-5, and was afterwards 
one of the first settlers in Hartford, Conn. 
He was the eldest of three brothers, all of 
whom were among the early settlers of Hart- 
ford. 

The family of the present Judge Spencer, 
on the maternal side, were purely Irish. His 
grandfather emigrated to this country from 
Ireland prior to the .\merican Revolution, and 
served his adopted country as a soldier during 
the War of Independence. 

Judge Spencer, before he had fully attained 
manhood, was thrown upon his own resources, 
and acquired his education and profession 
mainly by his own e.xertions. He commenced 
the practice of law in 1850, in his native 
county, and soon became popular and re- 
spected in his profession. 

In 1854, he removed to Ogdensburg, St. 
Lawrence county, and, with judge William C. 
Brown, formed the legal firm of Brown & 
Spencer, which for many years enjoyed a suc- 
cessful and profitable practice in the courts of 
Northern New York. In 1857 he was ap- 



pointed United States District Attorney for 
the Northern District of New York. 

The performance of the duties of that office 
extended his professional acquaintance into 
nearly every county of the State. After the 
expiration of his term of office, he removed 
to the city of New York and entered upon the 
practice of his profession in that city. His 
energy and industry, added to his former pro- 
fessional reputation in the State, soon brought 
him clients and a very successful business. 

[n 1867, he entered into partnership with 
Hon. Charles A. Rapallo and other legal gen- 
tlemen, under the firm name of Rapallo & 
Spencer, which became familiar to the public 
and in the courts as associated with some of 
the most important causes of the day, includ- 
ing the famous Erie controversy and other 
equally important litigations connected with 
railroad and steamship companies. The ex- 
istence of that firm terminated with the elec- 
tion of its senior members to the bench — Mr. 
Rapallo to the Court of Appeals, and Mr. 
Spencer to the Superior Court of New York. 
He was a candidate at a later day for reelec- 
tion as judge, but was defeated by a small 
majority. 

On his retirement from the bench and re- 
turn to the active practice of his profession in 
New York city, the Judge was heartily wel- 
comed, and his old clients renewed their al- 
legiance. As years have worn away he has 
become more attached to his Manhattan Island 
(see description elsewhere), and there he spends 
much of each summer, a practice dating back 
for twenty years. He has improved and beauti- 
fied every thing he has touched, and is known 
as a liberal, progressive gentleman, taking a 
deep and healthy interest in all that relates to 
the St. Lawrence and the improvement of its 
Islands. Such men become, in a sense, pub- 
lic benefactors, and their memory should not 
die for want of proper recognition, nor their 
example be lost upon posterity. 



CANADA'S WEST POINT. 



[see view of KINGSTON HEREWITH] 



THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE AT KINGSTON. 

BY J. JONES BEI.L, M. A. 



\'55\ITH a frontier extending across a conti- 
kV^ nent, bordering on a nation from wliich 
several hostile raids on belialf of "Irish inde- 
pendence " have taken place, and with a half- 
breed and Indian population in her own north- 
west, which has on two occasions broken out 
into open rebellion, Canada finds it necessary 
to maintain the nucleus of a military force, 
which shall be available on short notice to de- 
fend her frontier or to put down rebellion. She 
cannot afford to maintain a standing army, but 
she has three batteries of artillery on perma- 
nent service and a cavalry school, four infan- 
try schools and one mounted-infantry school, 
at which the oiificers and non-commissioned 
officers of the Volunteer Militia may receive 
such a training as will fit them to take com- 
mand and give instruction to the volunteers, 
who, taken from the field or workshop, would 
otherwise be wholly untrained and undisci- 
plined. 

But while her volunteers have given a good 
account of themselves when occasion called 
them into active service, and while her schools 
of military instruction have been the means of 
placing good officers at their head, it was felt 
that something more was needed to complete 
the system, and accordingly the Parliament of 
Canada, in 1874, passed an act authorizing 
the establishment of a Royal Military College 
"for the purpose," as the act states, "of im- 
parting a complete education in all branches 
of military tactics, fortification, engineering 
and general scientific knowledge in subjects 
connected with and necessary to a thorough 



knowledge of tlie military profession, and for 
qualifying officers for command and for staff 
appointments." 

In selecting a site for the college the gov- 
ernment naturally turned its eyes to three 
places which were specially adapted for the 
purpose by virtue of their historical associa- 
tions and the possession of extensive fortifica- 
tions which might be utilized for technical 
training. These were Halifax, Quebec and 
Kingston. The latter was ultimately chosen, 
for, in addition to being the most central, it 
possessed certain buildings which could be 
utilized. 

After the conquest of Canada, Kingston, 
the site of Fort Frontenac, built in 1673 by 
the French commander after whom it was 
named, became a military post of great im- 
portance. During the war of 181 2 it was the 
British naval station for the lakes. A dock- 
yard was established on a low promontory 
which juts out between the Cataraqui river 
and a small inlet of the St. Lawrence called 
Navy Bay. At this dockyard Sir James Yeo 
built his fleet for Lake Ontario. After the 
war the dockyard was dismantled, but a large 
three-story stone building remained, known as 
the Stone Frigate, which had been occupied 
by the marines. This, with a large black- 
smith shop close by, was utilized for the col- 
lege. [See building at left center of picture.] 

In 1876 the first classes were opened, eigh- 
teen cadets being admitted. The staff con- 
sisted of a commandant, a captain and three 
professors. As the classes grew, more accom- 



CANADA'S WEST POINT. 



modation was required, and a large building, 
of the grey limestone for which Kingston is 
famous, was added. It contains offices, read- 
ing and mess rooms, library, class rooms, 
laboratory, hospital and kitchen. The Stone 
Frigate became a dormitory, and the black- 
smith shop was converted into a well-equipped 
gymnasium. 

The main building faces a spacious parade 
ground, with tennis lawn and cricket ground, 
and opposite, on the point, is Fort Frederick, 
a battery which guards the entrance to the 
harbor, with a martello tower at its apex. 

Though modeled after Woolwich, the col- 
lege is intended to give the cadets a training 
which will fit them for civil as well as military 
life. The course, which is four years, though 
provision is made for a two years' course in 
certain subjects, embraces English, French, 
drawing, mathematics and mechanics, engi- 
neering, surveying, fortification, architecture, 
astronomy, chemistry, geology, mineralogy, 
physics, electricity, tactics and strategy, sig- 
naling, military law and administration, mili- 
tary drill, gymnastics, fencing, swimming and 
riding. A few of these subjects are volun- 
tary, but most of them are obligatory. A rig- 
orous examination has to be passed by candi- 
dates for entrance, and if more reach the 
minimum than can be admitted — two from 
each of the twelve military districts into 
which Canada is divided — those who make 
the highest number of marks are given the 
preference. The age of admission is from 
fifteen to nineteen. 

The military staff consists of a command- 
ant, staff adjutant and seven professors and 
instructors, four of whom are graduates of 
the college, and two of the latter hold com- 
missions in the regular army. Five of the 
staff are officers of the active list of the im- 
perial army, lent to the college for a five 
years' term, at the close of which they are 
required to rejoin their command. Two are 
officers of the retired list. There is a civil 
staff of five, holding permanent appoint- 
ments from the government. The presence 
of imperial officers gives a standing to the 
institution which it would not otherwise 



possess, and helps the proper training of 
those of the cadets who are destined for com- 
missions in the regular army. The govern- 
ment was fortunate in the choice of the first 
commandant, Col. Hewitt of the Royal 
Engineers, who, in addition to being an 
accomplished scholar and a good soldier, 
was possessed of great tact and energy, and 
knew Canada from former service. To his 
skill is due in large measure the success which 
attended the college from its very outset, and 
his guiding hand directed it through the diffi- 
culties which invariably attend the early 
career of a new institution, which, in this 
case, was to a large extent an experiment. 
Having completed his term he returned in 
1886 to Plymouth, and vi^as succeeded by Col. 
Oliver of the Royal Artillery, who had been 
professor of surveying and astronomy from 
the beginning, and who proved himself to be 
a worthy successor. The present head of the 
institution is M.a..i.-Gen. Cameron, late of 
the Royal Artillery. 

Sir Frederick Middleton, now retired 
from the command of the Canadian forces, 
took a deep interest, officially and personally, 
in the college, and during its early days 
helped it with counsel and advice, which his 
experience at Sandhurst well qualified him to 
give. The general officer commanding the 
militia is ex-officio president of the college. 

The entrance examinations are held in 
June at the headquarters of each military 
district, and the twenty-four successful can- 
didates report themselves at the opening 
of the term the following September. The 
first week is spent in being uniformed and 
drilled into some kind of form. The sec- 
ond week the old cadets return, and the gar- 
rison settles down to hard work. The daily 
routine embraces drill and class parades, 
study and other duties. From reveille to 
tattoo, with the exception of two hours — from 
four to six, during which he is free — the cadet 
is under the eye of authority in the class or 
lecture room or on parade. There is none of 
that loitering which so often takes place at 
civil colleges, none of that individual liberty 
which often means license. The cadet has, 



32 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



however, two half holidays, on Wednesday and 
Saturday, when he may go out on pass till 
eleven o'clock, or with extra leave till one. 
Balls and parties in Kingston are timed for 
these days, for the cadet, with his gay scarlet 
uniform, is an important factor in the social 
world. While attending the college the cadets 
are of course subject to the Queen's Regula- 
tions, the Army Act, the Militia Act, and such 
other rules and regulations as Her Majesty's 
troops are subject to. 

The physical training is excellent. Sergt.- 
Major Morgan, of the Scots Guards, pre- 
sides over this department, and well qualified 
he is to fill the position. Cadets who pass 
four years under his instruction come out 
with deep chests and erect figures, and show 
what a thorough physical training can accom- 
plish. 

One of the rewards of good conduct is pro- 
motion to the rank of non-commissioned 
officer, the commandant having authority to 
appoint such from among those best qualified. 
Proud is he who is invested with the chevrons, 
or given the right to wear the sergeant's sash. 

But while subject to strict discipline the 
cadets have opportunities to cultivate their 
social qualities. One of the events of the 
season is the annual sports, which take place 
in September. The campus is alive with car- 
riages and pedestrians, while pretty girls, with 
their chaperons, form the center of groups 
engaged in animated conversation, or watch- 
ing with interest the various competitions of 
speed and skill. Races, jumping competitions 
and steeplechases follow each other in quick 
succession, while the tug of war between the 
right and left wings creates almost as such 
interest as the struggle on the Isis between 
the college eights. The games over, all ad- 
journ to the gymnasium, where the prizes, 
more substantial than the crown of ivy at the 
Olympic games, are distributed to the victors. 
Tea and an impromptu dance follow in the 
college halls. 

A ball is given at Christmas by the staff and 
cadets, and a yet more elaborate entertainment 
of similar character at the close of the college 
year in June. On closing day a series of field 



manoeuvers takes place, with blowing up of 
imaginary fortifications and fleets, and an ex- 
hibition of drill and bayonet exercise, after 
which the results of the examinations are an- 
nounced, the prizes distributed, and the ses- 
sion brought to a termination. The governor- 
general, the minister of militia, or someone 
else high in authority, is secured, if possible, 
to distribute the prizes and make a speech. 
Four commissions, one each in the engineers, 
artillery, cavalry and infantry branches of the 
imperial service, are available, the cadets who 
stand highest on the honor roll, if otherwise 
eligible, being entitled to them in the order 
named. The first two are eagerly sought, the 
third generally goes a-begging, as there are 
few Canadian youths with sufficient means to 
keep up a position in such an expensive branch 
of the service, in which case an additional 
commission in the infantry is generally substi- 
tuted. All who have taken the full four years' 
course, and qualified in all the obligatory sub- 
jects, are entitled to receive a diploma of 
graduation, those who have specially dis- 
tinguished themselves also receiving honors. 
Those who leave at the end of two years, and 
pass the subjects required, receive a certificate 
of military qualification only. 

After the official proceedings are over on 
the closing day the cadets have a parade of 
their own, when the members of the graduat- 
ing class have to undergo an ordeal of hand- 
shaking and leave-taking in true college form. 
A valedictory dinner in the evening follows, 
and then steamer and car bear the cadets off, 
and the halls are deserted for three months. 

Some of the passed cadets of the college 
liave already vvon fame for themselves. The 
name of Stairs, who accompanied Stanley 
in his march through darkest Africa, is well 
known the world over. Lieut. Hewitt served 
in the Soudan and bears a medal won on the 
banks of the Nile, and Lieut. Dobell has 
distinguished himself for bravery in Burmah. 

Occasion has not yet arisen to call into full 
play the energies of the rapidly-growing mem- 
bers of the graduates of the Royal Military 
College, and it is therefore too early to judge 
of its full benefit to Canada. But the opinion 



K 








ST. M ARV'S CATHKDBAL. 
HOTEL DIEU. 




KINGSTON HARBOR AND FORTIFICATIONS. 



CANADA'S WEST POINT. 



33 



of Lord Lansdowne, expressed when gover- 
nor-general, is worth quoting. These are his 
words : 

"There is no Canadian institution of which Can- 
ada should be prouder or which will do better ser- 
vice to the country and to the empire. It forms an 
interesting and distinctive feature in the military 
S3'Stera of the Doininion. That system, as I under- 
stand it, is based upon the recognition of the fact 
that Canada cannot afford in her own interests, or in 
those of the empire, to disregard those precautions 
which every civilized community takes in order to 
ensure its own safety from internal commotion or 
external att.ack. Upon the other hand it is a system 
entirely opposed to the establishment of a numerous 
standing army or to the withdrawal of a large body 
of citizens from the peaceful pursuits which are 
essential to the progress and development of the 
country. 

" That being so, it is clear that in case of a national 
emergency the Dominion would have to trust largely 
to the spontaneous efforts of its own people, to the 
expansion of its existing organization, and the rapid 
development of the resources already at our command. 

" But, gentlemen, it is needless for me to point 
out to you that there is one thing which it is im- 
possible to produce on the spur of the moment, and 
that is a body of trained officers, competent to take 
charge of new levies or to supervise operations 
necessary for the defense of the national territory, 
and therefore it appears to me that we cannot over- 
rate the value of an institution which year by year is 



turning out men who have received within its wall 
a soldier's education in the best sense of the word 
and who, whatever their primary destination, will, I 
do not doubt, be found available whenever their ser- 
vices are required by the country." 

The cost of education at the Military Col- 
lege is not unreasonable. Each cadet is re- 
quired to deposit annually i|2oo to cover the 
cost of messing and quarters, and in addition 
$200 the first year and i|i5o each year after- 
wards for uniform, books and instruments. 
The messman receives forty-six cents per day 
for each cadet present. Extras are obtainable 
at fixed prices. No cadet is allowed to spend 
more than ^2 per month, non-commissioned 
officers more than $4, for extras, which they 
pay out of their pocket money. 

In addition to the full course of four years 
and the inilitary course of two years, pro- 
vision has been made at the college for officers 
of the militia, who require higher instruction 
than the military schools afford, to take a 
three months' course, one class being in- 
structed each year. By this means a number 
of officers have been enabled to qualify for 
important positions in the service. 

Taken all in all, Canada's West Point has 
been an unqualified success. 



The view of the grand old city of Kingston, presented in photo-gravure at the beginning 
of this article upon " Canada's West Point," shows the Military College buildings at left 
center — the building with so many windows being the main edifice, and the smaller buildings 
near by are the gymnasium and other necessary adjuncts to so large an institution, of which 
Ontario may well be proud. 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION, 



Historical and Otherwise, witin some Opinions of Travellers. 



/7d\ HE route of the St. Lawrence has long 
T^ been noted for the variety and beauty of 
its scenery. The traveller coming up from the 
sea, should he turn aside to explore the chasm 
of the Saguenay, would witness a scene of 
grandeur scarcely equaled by any other of its 
kind in any part of the world. Further up, 
the Rapids of the St. Lawrence present in suc- 
cession displays of majestic power and volume 
that command admiration, and on finally reach- 
ing the level or navigable waters above, the 
approach to the first of the Great Lakes leads 
throught a labyrinth of islands, which, for 
variety of scenery and quiet beauty, have 
seldom failed to awaken the enthusiasm of the 
traveller. 

To this group of islands, with their histori- 
cal associations, and the impressions which 
their scenery has inspired, the greater part of 
this volume is devoted. 

In arranging the materials of this work, the 
editor has been engaged in no small degree in 
presenting the thoughts of others ; but, believ- 
ing that the enjoyment of this scenery would 
be enhanced by learning the manner in which 
it has impressed those who have witnessed it 
in the years that are past, he has sought to 
present as wide a range of these impressions 
as opportunities allowed, yet not failing to 
present much that is original and never before 
published. 

No one will doubt that places acquire extra- 
ordinary interest when associated with great 
events, or even when linked with the ideal 
incidents of poetry and romance. In allusion 
to the interest which these associations impart 



to so many places in the Old World, while 
there are comparatively few in the New, the 
naturalist Wilson, in whom were united a keen 
perception of the beauties of nature and a 
highly poetic temperament, in the opening 
part of his Foresters, says: 

" Yet Nature's charms, that bloom so lovely here, 

Unhailed arrive, unheeded disappear; 

While bare, bleak heaths, and brooks of half a mile 

Can rouse the thousand bards of Britain's Isle. 

There, scarce a stream creeps down its narrow bed, 

There, scarce a hillock lifts its little head, 

Or humble hamlet peeps their glades among, 

But lives and murmurs in immortal song. 

Our western world, with all its matchless floods, 

Our vast transparent lakes and boundless woods, 

Stamped with the traits of majesty sublime, 

Unhonored weep the silent lapse of time; 

Spread their wild grandeur to the unconscious sky, 

In sweetest seasons pass unheeded by; 

While scarce one Muse returns the song they gave, 

Or seeks to snatch their glories from the grave." 

In some of the prose descriptions that fol- 
low, the reader will find a poetry of sentiment 
and imagery of thought that cannot fail to 
engage tlie attention. In others, there are 
incidents and events described that may add 
new interest to this region, especially those 
relating to the accounts of travel in the olden 
time, with the humble accomodations and the 
discomforts of the period, that afford a strik- 
ing contrast with the exact appointments and 
the ample luxuries of the present day. 

Early Indian History. 

"In the beginning," so far as history or 
tradition extends back into the past, this region 



w 





GENERAL DESCRIP TION. 



37 



was the border-land of the Algonquin and the 
Iroquois, — the former dwelling for the most 
part to the northward and eastward, while the 
latter, at least in the later period, had their 
principal homes along the lakes and rivers of 
Central and Western New York. 

The early historians of Canada record the 
fact that a bloody war was going on between 
the Adirondacks or Algonquins on the St. 
Lawrence, and the Iroquois or Five Nations 
of the region now included in Central and 
Western New York, when the country was 
first visited by the French. Champlain took 
part in this war on the part of the former, and 
by the use of fire-arms, hitherto unknown in 
Indian warfare, turned the tide of success for 
a time in favor of his allies — but gained 
thereby the lasting hatred of their enemies 
towards the French. The origin of this war- 
fare is traced by tradition to a long time 
before the first appearance of the white man, 
and although not measured by moons or sea- 
sons, it still appeared to be consistent, and 
probable, — and according to the little that 
could be gathered, was as follows : 

The Algonquins and the Iroquois had lived 
for a long time in harmony, the former being 
the stronger, and chiefly subsisting by the 
chase, while the latter were more inclined to 
fishing and agriculture. Now and then the 
young men of the two races would go out on 
their hunting expeditions together, bat in 
these the superiority of the man who killed 
the game, over him who skinned and dressed 
it, was always insisted upon, and when the 
party saw an opportunity, it was the business 
of the one to pursue and slay, and of the 
other to stand by and see it done. 

At one time, half a dozen of each class 
were out in the winter on a hunting excur- 
sion together. They saw some elk and imme- 
diately pursued them, but the Algonquins, 
presuming on their superiority, would not 
suffer the young Iroquois to take part, at the 
same time giving them to understand that 
they would soon have business enough on 
hand in taking care of the game they were 
about to kill. Three days were spent in vain 
pursuit, for although they saw there was an 



abundance of game, ill-luck followed them at 
every step. 

At length the Iriquois offered to go out 
themselves, and the former, not doubting but 
that a like failure would soon put an end to 
their unwelcome comments upon their own 
efforts, consented. The tide of success turned 
in their favor, and the Iroquois soon returned 
with an abundance of game. Mortified at 
this result, the jealous Algonquins the next 
night killed all of their successful rivals as 
they lay sleeping. The crime, although con- 
cealed and denied, was soon discovered, and 
the Iroquois at first made their complaints 
with moderation — simply asking that justice 
should be done to the murderers. 

No attention was paid to these complaints, 
and the injured party took justice into their 
own hands, solemnly vowing to exterminate 
the haughty race or perish in the attempt. 
Long series of retaliatory inroads were from 
this time made by each into the territories of 
the other, which finally ended greatly to the 
advantage of the Iroquois, and in the almost 
total annihilation of their enemies. The St. 
Francis Indians are a remnant of this once 
powerful tribe. 

Hiawatha. 

The legend of Hiawatha has been rendered 
familiar to most readers of American poetry 
by the metrical version of Longfellow, and the 
prose of Clark, Schoolcraft and others, and 
much controversy has been had with respect 
to the author of the legend as it first appeared 
in English. We accept, as fully reliable, the 
statement made by the late Hon. J. V. H. 
Clark, of Manlius, author of the History of 
Onondaga County, in a letter to the New 
York Tribune, in January, 1856, in which the 
claims of various writers and the dates of 
their publications are precisely stated. 

The legend relates to the origin of the 
League of th-e Iroquois, at a time which no 
record fixes by date, and no circumstance 
acceptable to the historian would lead him to 
locate otherwise than somewhere in that 
period clouded in the uncertainties of the 
forgotten past. We cannot present its begin- 



38 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



ning, wliicli was in this region, more appropri- 
ately than in the original language of Mr. 
Clark: 

"Hundreds of years ago, Ta-oun-j'a-wat-ha, the 
Deity who presides over fislieries and streams, came 
down from his dwelling place in the clouds to visit 
the inhabitants of the earth. He had been deputed 
by the Great and Good Spirit, Ha-wa-ne-u, to visit 
streams and clear the channels from all obstructions, 
to seek out the good things of the country through 
which he intended to pass, that they might be more 
generally disseminated among all the good people 
of the earth — especially to point out to them the 
most excellent fishing grounds, and to bestow upon 
them other acceptable gifts. About this tiine, two 
young men of the Onondaga Nation were listlessly 
gazing over the calm blue waters of the Lake of a 
Thousand Isles. During their reverie the)' espied, 
as the)' thought, far in the distance, a single white 
speck, beautifully dancing over the bright blue 
waters, and while they watched the object with the 
most intense anxiety, it seemed to increase in mag- 
nitude, and moved as if approaching the place where 
they were concealed, most anxiously awaiting the 
event of the visitation of so singular an object — for 
at this time no canoes had ever made their appear- 
ance in the direction whence this was approach- 
ing. As the object neared the shore, it proved in 
semblance to be a venerable looking man, calmly 
seated in a canoe of pure white, ver}- curiously con- 
structed and much more ingeniously wrought than 
those in use among the tribes of the country. Like 
a cygnet upon the wide blue sea, so sat the canoe of 
To-oun-ya-wat-ha upon the Lake of a Thousand Isles. 

" As a frail branch drifts towards the rushing cata- 
ract, so coursed the white canoe over the rippling 
waters, propelled by the strong arm of the god of the 
river. Deep thought sat on the brow of the gray- 
headed mariner: penetration marked his eye, and 
deep, dark mystery pervaded his countenance With 
a single oar he silently paddled his light-trimmed 
bark along the shore, as if seeking a commodious 
haven of rest. He soon turned the prow of his 
fragile vessel into the estuary of the ' double river,' 
and made fast to the western shore. He majestically 
ascended the steep bank, nor stopped till he had 
gained the loftiest summit of the western hill. 
Then silently gazing around as if to examine the 
country, he became enchanted with the view, and 
drawing his stately form to its utmost height, he ex- 
claimed in accents of the wildest enthusiasm, Osh- 
wah-kee, Osh-wah-kee." 

He approached the two young hunters, 
gained their confidence, and having drawn 
from them a knowledge of the difficulties un- 
der which they labored, disclosed to them the 



spirituality of his character, and the object of 
his mission. He invited them to attend him 
in his passage up the river, and they witnessed 
many things which could only be accounted 
for as miracles, or be described but in the 
wonders of Indian mythology. He ascended 
to the lesser lakes, placed all things in proper 
order for the comfort and sustenance of man, 
taught them how to cultivate corn and beans, 
which had not before been grown by them, 
made the fishing ground free, and opened to 
all the uninterrupted pursuit of game. He 
distributed among mankind the fruits of the 
earth, and removed all obstructions from the 
navigable streams. Being pleased with his 
success, he assumed the character and habits 
of a man, and received the name Hi-a-wat-ha, 
(signifying " very wise man,") and fixed his 
residence on the beautiful shores of Cross 
Lake. After a time, the country became 
alarmed by a hostile invasion, when he called 
a council of all the tribes from tlie east and 
the west, and in a long harangue urged upon 
them the importance of uniting themselves in 
a league for their common defense and mutual 
happiness. They deliberated upon his advice, 
and the next day adopted and ratified the 
League of Union which he recommended. 
As Lycurgus gave law to the Spartans, and 
swore them to faithfully observe its precepts 
until his return from a journey, and then de- 
parted to return no more, so Hi-a-wat-ha, 
having brought the council to a close, and as 
the assembled tribes were about to separate 
on their return home, arose in a dignified 
manner, and thus addressed them : 

" Friends and Brothers: — I have now fulfilled my 
mission upon earth; I have done everything which 
can be done at present for the good of this great 
people. Age, infirmil)' and distress sit heavily upon 
me. During my sojourn among you I have re- 
moved all obstructions from your streams. Canoes 
can now pass everywhere. I have given you good 
fishing waters and good hunting grounds; I have 
taught you how to cultivate corn and beans, and 
have learned you the art of making cabins. Many 
other blessings I have liberally bestowed upon 3'ou. 

" Lastly, I have now assisted you to form an ever- 
lasting league and covenant of strength and friend- 
ship, for your future safety and protection. If you 
preserve it without the admission of other people, 



I I! 



'jiV' 






' ^l^iif "ill 

iiiii 






n.:i 




CENER. 1 L DESCRIF TION. 



41 



you will always be free, numerous and mighty. If 
other nations are admitted to your councils, they 
will sow jealousies among you, and )'ou will become 
enslaved, few and feeble. Remember tliese words : 
they arc the last you will hear from the lips of Ili-a- 
wat-ha. Listen, my friends ; the Great-Master-of- 
Breath calls me to go. I have patiently waited his 
summons. I am ready : Farewell." 

As the wise man closed his speech, there 
burst upon the ears of the assembled multi- 
tude the cheerful sounds of the most deliglit- 
ful singing voices. The whole sky seemed 
filled with the sweetest melody of celestial 
music; and heaven's high arch echoed and re- 
echoed the touching strains till the whole vast 
assembly was completely absorbed in rapturous 
ecstacy. Amidst the general confusion which 
now prevailed, and while all eyes were turned 
towards the etherial region^, Hi-a-wat-ha was 
seen majestically seated in his canoe, grace- 
fully rising higher and higher above their 
heads through the air until he became entirely 
lost from the view of the assembled throng, 
who witnessed his wonderful ascent in mute 
and admiring astonishment — while the fasci- 
nating music gradually became more plaintive 
and low, and finally sweetly expired in the 
softest tones upon their ears, as the wise man 
Hi-a-wat-ha, the godlike Ta-oun-ya-wat-ha, 
retired from their sight, as mysteriously as he 
first appeared from The Lake of a Thousand 
Isles, and quietly entered the regions inhabited 
only by the favorites of the great and good 
spirit Ha-wah-ne-u. 

In the legend, as rendered by Longfellow, 
no allusion to this region is specifically made, 
and the scene of events is located in the west, 
on the south shore of Lake Superior, in the 
region beyond the Pictured Rocks and the 
Grand Sable. 

Creation of the Indian Race. 

Among the traditions of various Indian 
tribes we find a legend of their creation, 
which, although differing more or less in de- 
tails, agrees in ascribing their origin to a peo- 
ple who came out of the ground. Of this 
inythological belief we have an interesting ex- 
ample in this part of the world, as given by 



M. Pouchet, a French writer of acknowledged 
merit, who recorded what he saw and heard. 
This writer was an officer in the French ser- 
vice, and commanded Fort Levis, on the Oraco- 
nenton Isle, a short distance below Ogdens- 
burg, when this last stronghold of the French 
was captured by Lord Amhurst in 1760. 

He subsequently prepared a history of the 
events in which he had himself borne an im- 
portant part, which was published some years 
after his death, and in this he gives much in- 
formation concerning the Indians who then 
inhabited this region. In describing the shores 
of Lake Ontario, he speaks of a great arc of 
sand hills along the eastern end of the lake, 
behind vvhich are marshy meadows, through 
which the rivers wind. This description clearly 
identifies these streams with those now known 
as the North and South Branches of Sandy 
Creek, in the town of Ellisburgh, Jefferson 
county, which unite just above the point where 
they enter the lake. They are remarkable in 
this, that at the head of the South Branch is 
the place where the traditions of the Iroquois 
fi.x the spot " where they issued from the 
ground, or rather, according to their tradi- 
tions, where they were born." 

Traces of Indian Records on the St. 
Lawrence. 

Opposite the village of Oak Point, in Eliza- 
beth Township, Canada, there existed in 1850, 
and perhaps does still, a rude representation 
of a canoe with thirty-five men, and near it a 
cross. On the rocks below Rockville there 
were two similar paintings, each being a canoe 
with six men. A deer rudely painted on the 
rocks was found on the shore of Black Lake, 
a few miles inland from Morristown, and 
doubtless other rude sketches of the kind may 
be found. These are probably of compara- 
tively inodern origin, or at most not earlier 
than the time of European settlement. They 
may have been significant of some event 
at the time when made, but whatever the 
objects may have been, they have passed into 
oblivion with the memory of those who made 
them. 



42 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



Expeditions of De Courcelle and De 
Tracy. 
In the papers relating to De Courcelle'sand 
De Tracy's expeditions against the Mohawk 
Indians (1665-6), in describing the routes 
leading into the Iroquois country, the naviga- 
tion of the St. Lawrence is mentioned as ex- 
ceedingly difficult until the rapids are passed. 

" But when the mouth of the Great Lake is 
reached, the navigation is easy, when the waters are 
tranquil, becoming insensibly wider at first, then 
about two-thirds, next one-half, and finally out of 
sight of land; especially after one has passed an 
infinity of little islands which are at the entrance of 
the lake in such great numbers, and in such a 
variety, that the most experienced Iroquois pilots 
sometimes lose themselves there, and have consid- 
erable difficulty in distinguishing the course to be 
steered in the confusion, and, as it were, in the laby- 
rinth formed by the islands. Some of these are 
only huge rocks rising out of the water, covered 
merely bj' moss or a few spruce or other stunted 
wood, whose roots spring from the clefts of the 
rocks which can supply no other aliment or moist- 
ure to these barren trees than what the rains furnish 
them. After leaving this .abode the lake is discov- 
ered, appearing like unto a sea without islands or 
bounds, where barks and ships can sail in all safety 
so that the communications would be easy between 
all the French colonies that could be established on 
the borders of this great lake which is more than a 
hundred leagues long, by thirty or forty wide." 

French Missionaries. 

Among the pioneers of discovery were the 
missionaries who were sent out to gain the 
friendship and secure the conversion of the 
Indian tribes of the interior. These zealous 
men allowed no obstacles or dangers to inter- 
rupt their efforts or dampen their ardor, but 
with an energy and perseverance that cannot 
fail to excite our admiration, they pursued 
their way to the remotest parts of the interior, 
where some lived many years among the sav- 
ages amid all the privations of a wilderness, 
and others were murdered, or miserably per- 
ished in the solitudes of the forest. We can 
here mention but a few of these pioneers and 
discoverers: 

Francois de Salignac de Fenelon, half 
brother of the illustrious French writer, the 
Archbishop of Cambray, came to Canada in 



1667, and was for some time engaged in the 
Indian missions at Toronto and elsewhere. 

The Abbe Fenelon accompanied the Count 
de Frontenac to Lake Ontario in 1673. 

Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan, came to 
Canada in 1675, and was stationed the next 
year at Frontenac, Kingston. He was after- 
wards sent by La Salle to explore the country, 
and was the first European who saw the Mis- 
sissippi river. In 1697 he published an ac- 
count of remote regions that he pretended to 
have visited, but which is now regarded in 
part at least as a fiction. Father Marquette 
also made extensive journeys in the west, and 
died at Mackinaw, May 14, 1675. Menard, 
Allouez and many others passed this way on 
their journeys to distant points, but these men 
were, as a rule, little given to romantic 
descriptions, and their " relations " pertain 
more to the proper object of their missions, 
than to the scenery that they passed. 

Father Emmanuel Crespel, in a little work 
published in 1742, describes some incidents of 
a journey into the Indian country on the 
Upper Lakes. He was fifteen days going 
from Montreal to Frontenac, and was there 
detained some time in waiting for a vessel to 
Niagara. This was of about eighty tons bur- 
then, and apparently the only one then on the 
lake. The passage was made in less than 
thirty-six hours. The lake was very calm 
and he sounded vvith a line of a hundred 
fathoms without finding bottom. 

On his return he remained two years at 
Frontenac, when he was recalled to Montreal, 
and soon afterwards was sent to La Pointe de 
la Chevelure on the east side of Lake Cham- 
plain, in the present State of Vermont, and 
opposite the French post at Crown Point. 

First Military Establishment Upon Lake 
Ontario — Fort Frontenac. — (1673.) 

In order to protect the French interests, the 
Count de Frontenac resolved to establish a 
military post at the outlet of the Lake, and 
with the view of impressing the natives with 
the power of the French, he resolved to take 
two flat bottomed canoes up the rapids, and 
even to mount them with cannon, to inspire 



GENERA L D ESC RIP TION. 



43 



them with awe. The boats were built after a 
particular model, painted unlike anything ever 
seen before, and were each manned by sixteen 
men. With these and about one hundred and 
twenty bark canoes he left Montreal on the 
i6th of June, and in about three weeks reached 
the beginning of smooth-water navigation. 
Hearing that the Indians had assembled in 
great numbers, and were uneasy about the ob- 
ject of his expedition, he resolved to proceed 
with caution, in one body, and in closer column 
than before. The weather was so serene, and 
the navigation so smooth, that they made more 
than ten leagues the first day, and went into 
camp at a cove about a league and a half from 
Grenadier Island, where the eel-fishing begins. 
In his Journal he says: 

" We had the pleasure on the way to catcli a small 
loon, a bird aboul as large as a European Outarde, 
of the most beautiful plumage, but very difficult to 
be caught alive, as it dives constantly under, so that 
it is no small rarity to be able to take one. A cage 
was made for it, and orders were given to endeavor 
to raise it, in order to send it to the King. On the 
nth [of July], the weather continuing fine, a good 
day's journey was made, having passed all that vast 
group of islands with which the river is spangled, 
and camped at a point above the river called Gana- 
noque, up which many of them go hunting. It has a 
very considerable channel. Two more loons were 
caught alive, and a kind of deer, but the head and 
antlers are handsomer than the deer of France." 

The narrative continues with an account of 
the regal manner with which the Count de 
Frontenac entered the lake, and the inter- 
views he had with the Indians. In short, 
nothing which pomp and ceremony — the 
waving of banners, martial music, and the dis- 
charge of cannon could do, was omitted, to 
impress the wondering natives with an over- 
whelming idea of the omnipotence of the 
French. The speeches and proceedings of 
the occasion are all found fully recorded. 
The outline of a fort was at once traced out, 
and its construction commenced. Beginning 
work by daylight on the 14th, the ground was 
cleared before night. The Indians were as- 
tonished to see the large clearance made in a 
day — some squaring timber in one place ; 
others fetching pickets ; and others cutting 



trenches, all at the same time, and with the 
greatest dispatch and order. 

Expedition of De La B..\rke. — (1684.) 

De La Barre, Governor of Canada from 
1682 to 1685, had distinguished himself in 
the West Indies, where he had taken Antigua 
and Montserat from the English. In 16S4, 
he repaired to Fort Frontenac, and ordered 
three vessels which the French had built upon 
the lake to be repaired, with the design of 
crossing to the country of the Iroquois, and 
frightening the people into his own terms of 
peace. His army consisted of 600 soldiers, 
400 Indians, and 400 men for carrying pro- 
visions, besides 300 men left in the fort. 

The Governor tarried six weeks at Fronte- 
nac, his encampment being near a pestilential 
marsh, causing so great sickness and mortality 
that he found himself unable to accomplish 
his object by force of arms. He accordingly 
resolved to effect what he could by treaty, 
and having vainly hoped to obtain the co- 
operation of Gov. Dongan, he sent agents to 
invite the Five Nations to a council. The 
Governor of New York, although in sympathy 
with the religious influences so actively em- 
ployed by the French, did not consent to any 
concurrence, but secretly put every obstacle 
in the way; and in this he so far succeeded, 
that the Mohawks and Senecas remained at 
home. The other tribes, who were more un- 
der the influence of the French missionaries, 
sent representatives to meet him, consisting 
of Garangula and thirty warriors. The place 
of meeting was at the mouth of Salmon river, 
at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, about 
forty miles from Onondaga castle. 

After remaining two days in the French 
camp, the Governor proceeded to address the 
Indians, a circle being formed by the French 
officers on one side, and Garangula and his 
warriors on the other. 

We have not space to print the speeches 
made upon each side by the " high contract- 
ing parties," but De la Barre entirely failed 
in placating or overawing the Indians, who 
became insolent, and at last openly defied that 
officer, who was soon compelled to retreat, and 



44 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



his command reached Frontenac (Kingston) 
at last much demoralized. The expedition 
was so much of a failure as to be almost stig- 
matized as puerile. 

Expedition of De Nonville. — (1685.) 

In 1685, the Marquis De Nonville made an 
expedition into the Genesee country, but left 
no record of local interest concerning the 
islands. 

The Avenging Inroad of the Iroquois 
UPON THE French — (1688.) 

Early in July, 1688, an act of perfidy on 
the part of the French brought down upon 
their settlements the terrible vengeance of the 
Iroquois. Passing down the St. Lawrence, 
they landed at Lachine on the 26th of July, 
and fell upon the unsuspecting inhabitants, 
burning, plundering and massacreing in all 
directions, and almost up to the defenses of 
Montreal. They lingered weeks in the coun- 
try, laid waste the settlements far and wide, 
and returned with the loss of only three men. 
The French lost about a thousand persons by 
this inroad, and many prisoners were carried 
off for a fate worse than sudden death. 

The French at Fort Frontenac were obliged 
to burn the two vessels they had on the lake, 
and abandon the fort, first setting a slow 
match to the powder magazine. The fire 
happened to go out before the powder was 
reached, and the place was soon plundered 
by the Indians. The garrison set out in 
seven bark canoes, travelling only by night, 
and hiding by day, and after much difficulty 
reached Montreal with the loss of one canoe 
and all on board. 

De Nonville witnessed the devastation of 
his colony without daring to resist the enemy 
while engaged in their work of ruin, nor on 
their return. He was succeeded the next 
year by Frontenac. 

Onondaga Expedition of the Count De 
Frontenac. 

In 1696 the Count de Frontenac made an 
incursion into the country of the Onondagas, 



but the only mention that he makes of this 
region is his encampment for a night upon 
what is now known as Carleton island. 

Subsequent Operations of the French 
ON Lake Ontario. 

During the next fifty years, the French 
were steadily extending their trade, and en- 
deavoring to attach the remote Indian tribes 
to their interests. In 1687, they established 
a fort at Niagara, and in 1722 the English 
built a trading house, and in 1727 a fort at 
Oswego. Although England and France were 
during much of this time at peace, and the 
Governors of their colonies on terms of cor- 
respondence, there was probably no period 
down to the conquest of 1760 during which 
each of the two powers was not busy, through 
its agents, in endeavoring to monopolize the 
Indian trade, and in extending this influence 
with the native tribes. 

Indian Mission at Oswegatchie; La 
Presentation. — ( 1 749. ) 

A considerable number of Iroquois, chiefly 
Onondagas, having been induced to settle on 
the St. Lawrence, a mission was established in 
1749, at the mouth of the Oswegatchie, on the 
site of the present city of Ogdensburg. This 
mission was named La Presentation, and its 
founder was Francis Picquet, a Sulpician. 
During the first season he built a storehouse 
and a small fort, but before the end of the 
year his settlement was attacked by a band of 
Mohawks, who burned two vessels loaded with 
hay, and the palisades of the fort. After this, 
some soldiers were stationed here for protec- 
tion. The station progressed rapidly, and in 
1 75 1 a saw mill was begun. 

The English who had built a trading house 
and a fort at Oswego many years before, 
naturally looked with jealousy upon this estab- 
lishment by the French. Word was brought 
to them by the Indians, concerning their posts 
lately erected on the Ohio, and the informant 
said " he heard a bird sing that a great many 
Indians from his castle, and others from the 
Five Nations, were gone to Swegage." 

In June, 1754, the celebrated Congress of 



,r 



.^/y*^- 
,'f'.^ 




GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 



47 



Representatives from the English Colonies, 
met at Albany, to consider a Plan of Union 
for their common defense, and on this occasion 
these encroachments were fully discussed. 

In the war which followed, La Presentation 
became a point of outfit and rendezvous for 
many of the war parties that laid waste the 
frontier settlements of the English, from which 
they usually returned bringing prisoners and 
scalps. Many of these expeditions were led 
by Picquet himself. Thomas Mante, in his 
history of the French war, says: 

" As to the Abb6 Picquet, who distinguished him- 
self so much by his brutal zeal, as he did not expose 
himself to any danger, he received no injury; and 
he 3'et lives, Justly despised to such a degree by every 
one who knows anything of his past conduct in 
America, that scarce any officer will admit him to 
his table. However repugnant it must be to every 
idea of honor and humanity, not to give quarter to 
an enemy, when subdued, it must be infinitely more 
so not to spare women and children. Yet such had 
often been the objects of the Abbe Picquet's cruel 
advice, enforced by the most barbarous examples, 
especially in the English settlements on the back of 
Virginia and Pennsylvania." 

He returned to France, where he died July 
15, 1781. He was succeeded at La Presenta- 
tion (Ogdensburg) by La Garde, a Sulpician, 
and the mission was continued until broken 
up in 1760. The Oswegatchies continued to 
live on the south shore and on the islands at 
the head of the Rapids until 1806, when the 
proprietor of the lands caused their removal, 
a part going to St. Regis, and others return- 
ing to Onondaga. Some years since, the cor- 
ner-stone of a building erected near the site 
of the present light-house, at the entrance of 
the harbor at Ogdensburg, was found in 
taking down the building. It may now be 
seen over the door of a building erected for a 
State arsenal in that city, and bears the fol- 
lowing inscription: 

In nomine -t- Dei Omnipotentis 

Huic habitation! initia dedit 

Frans Picquet. 1749. 

These premises remained standing when set- 
tlement began under title from the State, in 
1796, and until long afterwards. They were 
fitted up for a store and for dwellings until 



better could be built, and the site of the foun- 
dations may still be traced. 

Operations IN 1755-6: Capture of Oswego. 

The war, which ended in the conquest of 
Canada, is without incident so far as relates to 
the Tliousand Islands; but many events oc- 
curred upon this frontier, which became the 
thoroughfare of large armies, the only com- 
munication then known being by the river, 
between the settled parts of Canada and the 
upper lakes. 

In the summer of 1755 the French were en- 
gaged in strengthening the post at Frontenac, 
and later in the season at Niagara. The first 
detachment in going up was met by a party of 
Indians among the Islands on the ist of Au- 
gust. They had a number of scalps, and gave 
the first intimation received in Canada of the 
defeat of Braddock's army near Fort DuQuesne 
a fortnight before. This success of the French 
determined many of the Indians to take up 
arms against the English, and many of the 
cannon captured on that occasion were used 
by the French at Niagara and elsewhere on 
the northern border during the following year. 

In 1756, considerable bodies of troops were 
sent from France, and in May, the Marquis de 
Montcalm, Gen. Bourlamaque, two engineers, 
and an army of 1,350 regulars, 1,500 Canadians 
and 250 Indians, ascended the river to Fort 
Frontenac, and M. de Villers, with 500 men, 
established a post of observation on Six-town 
Point, in the present town of Henderson, Jef- 
ferson county, the outlines of which may still 
be plainly traced. It was square, built of up- 
right timbers, with bastions at the corners, and 
was surrounded by a ditch, and at the time 
hidden from view by surrounding trees and 
bushes. This officer, who was captain of the 
marine, was brave and prudent, and had 
greatly annoyed the English by pillaging their 
munitions, and obliging them to take great pre- 
cautions in sending provisions to their troops 
at Oswego. 

Montcalm left Fort Frontenac for Point 
Peninsula on the 5th of August, and on the 
7th the French appeared before Oswego. 
There were at this time two forts at this place 



48 



A. SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



— Fort Ontario on the east side, and Fort 
Pepperell on the west. The latter, then newly 
erected, was 120 feet square, a rampart of 
earth and stone, 20 feet thick, and 12 feet 
high, besides the parapet. 

The French began their approaches on the 
12th, and on the next day the English, hav- 
ing spiked their guns and destroyed their pro- 
visions and ammunition, withdrew to the old 
fort on the eastern bank. This Col. Mercer 
was also obliged to surrender on the 17th. 
The English force consisted of 2,400 men, 
who yielded upon terms dictated by Mont- 
calm, with all their effects, munitions, arms 
and military stores. 

It is stated by English historians that, not- 
withstanding the pledges of Montcalm, twenty 
of the garrison were given up to the Indians, 
by way of atonement for the loss of friends, 
and that all the sick in the hospital were 
scalped. At least one hundred men are said 
to have fallen victims to Indian ferocity after 
the surrender, the remainder being taken 
down to Montreal, where they were mostly 
exchanged. The French did not attempt to 
hold this post after surrender, but most of 
the provisions were sent to Niagara and the 
artillery to Frontenac and Montreal. Accord- 
ing to Pouchot, the government got small re- 
turns of the booty, as it was mostly stolen or 
converted to private use by the commissaries, 
stewards and other agents of the service, who 
lost no opportunity of enriching themselves at 
the king's expense. Some of the very articles 
captured were sold back to the government 
through contractors. Two sloops were set on 
fire by the French and cast adrift upon the 
lake. The greater part of the French army 
returned a week afterwards to Montreal, and 
appeared later the same season upon Lake 
Champlain. 

Destruction of Fort Frontenac, (1758). 

In August, 1758, Colonel John Bradstreet 
arrived at Oswego with an army of 3,340 men 
and crossed the lake to Fort Frontenac, which 
he captured with a trifling loss. After de- 
stroying the fort and securing what he could 
of the immense military stores there deposited, 



he returned without accident to Oswego. He 
repaired the works on the east side of the 
river at that place, which remained in British 
possession until surrendered to the United 
States under treaty in June, 1796. 

Expedition of Lord Amherst, (1760). 

The war between the French and English 
in North America, which begun in 1755, had 
led, by the end of 1759, to the reduction of 
Niagara, Ticonderoga, Crown Point and 
Quebec. To complete the conquest, three 
expeditions were planned for 1760 : one from 
Quebec, another by way of Lake Champlain, 
and a third by way of Oswego and the St. 
Lawrence river. The latter was placed under 
General Jeffrey Amherst, and the forces as- 
sembled at Oswego were reported on the 5th 
of August as consisting of the ist and 2d bat- 
talion of Royal Highlanders, the 44th, 46th 
and 55th regiments, the 4th battalion of the 
60th, eight companies of the 77th, five of the 
80th, 597 grenadiers, an equal number of 
light infantry, 146 rangers, three battalions of 
the New York regiment, the New Jersey regi- 
ment, four battalions of the Connecticut regi- 
ment, and 157 of the Royal Artillery — 
amounting in all to 10,142 effective men, 
officers included. There were besides 706 
Indian warriors under Sir William Johnson. 

The first detachment of troops sailed in 
two vessels, the Mohawk and the Onondaga, 
on the 7th, to take post at the entrance of 
the St. Lawrence. On the 13th all had em- 
barked, and on the evening of that day they 
encamped at the head of the St, Lawrence. 
Captain Loring, with the two vessels, who had 
been the first to leave Oswego, lost his way 
among the islands, and while endeavoring to 
extricate himself, the main army passed him. 
They, however, arrived a day or two after at 
Point au Baril, near the present village of 
Maitland, where the French the year before 
had built a dock, and established a fortified 
ship-yard. The grenadiers and row-galleys 
had, in the meantime, taken an advanced posi- 
tion at Oswegatchie, preparatory to an attack 
upon Fort Levis. 

This fort stood upon an island called Ora- 



GENERAL DESCRfP T/O.Y. 



49 



conenton b\' the Indians, and He Royale by 
the French, — about three miles below the 
month of the Oswegatchie, and near the mid- 
dle of the channel, which it completely com- 
manded. In modern times it is known as 
Chimney island, from the ruins of the French 
works still visible upon it. (In Canada.) 

The works upon this island were begun un- 
der the direction of the Chevalier de Levis in 
the summer of 1759, and finished in 1760 by 
Pouchot. A map given by Mante shows that 
the border of the island was set with tlie 
trunks of trees having their tops still on, 
and firmly set in the groimd, so as to present 
an impenetrable abatis of brush on every 
side but the landing at the lower end. Witliin 
this was a breastwork of earth, and behind this 
a deep ditch filled with water, through the 
middle of which there ran a stockade of strong, 
sharpened pickets, closely set and sloping 
outwards. Inside of the ditch stood the Fort 
proper, consisting of a timber parapet filled 
with earth, with a line of strong, sharpened 
pickets sloping out over the ditch, and plat- 
forms for cannon, and in the center of the 
works the magazines and quarters. The lower 
point of the island was not included within 
the ditch and parapet, but had defensive works 
sufficient to prevent the landing of boats. 

A small church stood near the head of Gallop 
island, a short distance below the fort, at the 
time when this post was taken. The English, 
finding a scalp displayed in the building, 
burned it to the ground. The outline of the 
foundations of this church can still be traced. 

The events attending the reduction of this 
fort — the last that offered any resistance in 
Canada, may be learned from two accounts: 
one by Mante, an English historian of ap- 
proved credit, and the other by Pouchot, the 
French officer who defended the fort, and 
afterwards wrote a history of the war, that 
was published after his death. 

The loss of ilic English w.ts twentv-one killed and 
nineteen wounded. The first shot from the Eng- 



lish battery killed the French olficcr of anillciy. 
Eleven jnorc were killed afterwards, and about forty 
wounded. The garrison, except the pilots, for the 
•sake of whom chiefly the place had been attacked, 
were sent to New York; and the general named the 
fort Fort William .^ucusrus. 

OsWEG.rrCHIE UNDER THK ENGLISH. 

The English continued to occupy Oswe- 
gatchie as a trading post until 1796, and dur- 
ing the Revolution it was a point of some 
importance as a place for the storage of stip- 
plies, and the transfer of freight from boats to 
vessels. Although the St. Lawrence river had 
been declared the boundary by the Treaty of 
1783, the British held possession of the whole 
line of posts on the northern frontier to 
secure, as they claimed, the rights of certain 
British subjects. In the absence of authority 
to prevent it, the owners of land under pur- 
chase from the State suffered great damages 
frorn timber thieves, who operated extensively 
and without the least restraint. A tnill on the 
Oswegatchie owned by one Verne Francis 
Lorimer, a half-pay captain, did an extensive 
business in this line, but the remonstrances of 
proprietors obtained no relief. The usual 
plea when these complaints were brought to 
the attention of officials was that they had no 
jurisdiction in the matter, and that relief 
should be sought in some higher authority. 

According to the terms of "Jay's Treaty," 
all the posts within the Ll^nited States were to 
be given up on or before June i, 1796. Mr. 
Nathan Ford, agent of Samuel Ogden the 
proprietor, took possession, and at once began 
improvements with an energy that could not 
fail of success. During his absence the first 
winter the Canadians came over, held a town 
meeting, elected civil and military officers 
and opened a land office for selling and set- 
tling his lands; but he made short work with 
these squatters and their title, and the settle- 
ment grew rapidly until its prosperity was 
checked for a time by the embargo of 1S12 
and the war. 



IS a'JSJSiffiStejife,,,. 



ii©LiF©STCilBLf« 




CARLTON ISLAND IN THE REVOLUTION. 



/2^0R more than eighty years the traveller 
I on the river St. Lawrence by way of the 

American channel, could scarcely have failed 
to notice a group of stone chimneys standing 
on the bluff at the head of Carlton Island. 
Inquiry or examination disclosed the fact that 
these old chimney stacks stood within an elabo- 
rately fortified enclosure of which the out- 
lines are not only distinct, but in a degree 
quite perfect, so that the plan is readily deter- 
mined, the system identified, its armament 
approximately adjudged, its magazines and 
barracks located, and, in short, its whole scope, 
object and intent made reasonably plain. 

It will be remembered that the head of 
Carlton Island consists of a comparatively low 
peninsula, connected by a neck of land with 
the main island. On each side of this neck or 
isthmus is a bay, one arm of which is called 
South bay and the other North bay. Back of 
the two bays the island rises abruptly in a steep 
bluff to a height of about sixty feet above the 
water, and upon this bluff the fort was con- 
structed. 

The work occupied three-eighths of an 
octagon, extending from edge to edge of the 



cliff on which it was built, which faces to the 
southwest. The rear, or landward side, was 
protected by a strong earth-work, a ditch, an 
out-work and glacis of stone and a strong 
abatis. The ditch was cut in the limestone 
rock. In the center of each face of the ram- 
parts, and midway between the salients, was 
a strong bastion, constructed for four guns, 
two of which in each bastion could enfilade cor- 
responding angles of the ditch, which was cut 
to a depth of nearly five feet, with an average 
width of twenty-four feet. The scarp was 
vertical and protected by a cheveaux-de-frise 
of cedar logs, sharpened at the outer ends, 
and extending beyond the berme ; these were 
held in place by the earth of the parapet. 
The counterscarp was also vertical, and be. 
yond it extended a couvert way of about the 
same average width as the ditch. There were 
also bomb-proof magazines and barracks 
erected, and a well sunk to a level of or below 
the water in North bay. On the loth of 
June, 1793, there still remained in the fort 
ten eighteen-pounders, five twelve-pounders, 
two nine-pounders and two six-pounders. In 
1783, ten years previous, six eighteens and 



yit^(j#r?^ _'! ' f 








CARL'inN ISLAND IN THE RE]-OLlT10N. 



53 



five twelves luid been taken Iroin the arma- 
ment of the fort and placed upon vessels; so 
that the complete armament must have been 
sixteen eighteens, ten twelves, two nines and 
two sixes; in all, thirty guns. 

As early as 1774. Carlton Island, then 
known as Buck, or Deer Island, became a 
trading post of much importance for Quebec 
merchants who were dealing with the Indian 
tribes. In 1775-6 the British government had 
located a military and naval supply depart- 
ment on the island, but it was not until 
August, 177S, that any attempt at fortifying it 
was made. The reasons for so doing may be 
very briefly stated. At the breaking out of 
the War of the Revolution, the British held 
Niagara, Oswego, Fort Frontenac (now Kings- 
ton), and undisputed sway of the lakes and of 
the river St. Lawrence. Sir Guy Carlton 
was governor of the Canadas, and commander- 
in-chief of his Majesty's forces therein. A 
campaign against the colonies was planned 
early in the war, and its management entrusted 
to Gen. John Burgoyne, instead of Sir Guy 
Carlton. The plan was well laid. Bur- 
goyne was to move on Albany by way of 
Lake Champlain; Col. Barry St. Leger was 
to proceed up the St. Lavirence to Oswego 
and thence to Fort Stanwix (Rome), and, re- 
ducing that, reach Albany by way of the 
Mohawk, and form a junction with Burgoyne; 
while Sir Henry Clinton was to move up the 
Hudson River to the same point. But Bur- 
goyne was defeated at Saratoga, St. Leger 
was forced to raise the siege of Fort Stanwix, 
and Clinton failed to reach Albany — so the 
well-laid plan was defeated. Thinking him- 
self aggrieved by the appointment of Bur- 
goyne, Sir Guy Carlton resigned his position 
and returned to England; and Sir Frederick 
Haldimand was appointed to his place. 

In July, 177S, Gen. Haldimand issued an 
order to Lieut. William Twiss of the Engi- 
neers, Lieut. Schank of the Navy, and Capt. 
Aubrey of the 47th Regiment, to proceed to 
the upper St. I,awrence and there select such 
a place as in their judgment was best suited to 
establish a ship-yard and all its necessary re- 
quirements. ."Xfter a careful examination of 



several points they pitched on Deer Island. 
Cai)t. Schank had a force of artificers, and 
Capt. Aubrey his own company and a detach- 
ment of Sir John Johnson's " Royal Greens." 
Lieut. Twiss drew the plans for the fort, and 
named it Fort Haldimand, in honor of ihe 
new commander, and the three officers 
changed the name of the island from " Deer" 
to " Carlton," in honor of their former com- 
mander. Sir Guy Carlton. The fort was never 
fully completed, work being discontinued by 
order of Gen. Haldimand in 1783. 

During the War of the Revolution, Carlton 
Island was the most important post above 
Montreal. Many vessels of war and gunboats 
were built in the North liay, and the place 
was the great depot of military and naval sup- 
plies for the Northwest. It was the place of 
refuge for the Tories of New York, Pennsyl- 
vania and New Jersey. Thayendanagea, the 
great chief of the Six Nations, made this his 
headquarters. Large numbers of those tribes 
encamped on Carlton and Wolfe islands. 
The bloody massacres of tlie Cedars, Wyo- 
ming, Cherry Valley, and Stony .•\rabia, were 
planned here, and executed by forces which 
went from here. 

What a contrast between the Carlton Is- 
land of 117 years ago, and now. Then all 
was bustle. Vessels of war were building, a 
fort in construction; the drums beat the 
reveille, and the roar of the evening gun 
startled the echoes amid the dense forests on 
island and mainland. The notes of the bugle 
rang shrill and clear across the crystal waters 
of the St. Lawrence, while the war-whoop of 
the painted Iroquois boded death and disaster 
to the frontier settler. To-day, all is (piiet. 
Where the artificers of the Revolution built 
their vessels of war, the artificers of to-day 
are completing the finest cottage on the St. 
Lawrence river. The land earned by his ser- 
vice in the Continental army, and granted to 
a soldier of the Revolution, now belongs 
to a gallant soldier of a later Revolution, 
which established as a permanent fact that 
wnich the first Revolution only inaugurated 
as an experiment — "The Union, one and 
inseparable." 



54 



A SOUVEiVIR OF THE ST. LA]l'RENCE 7,VrER. 



HON. THOMAS C. ALVORD'S FISHING EXPERIENCES 



UPON rilK RIVER, KAKLY IN THF. FORTIES. 



V(^\^tlEN I first resolved to proc 
V\ the ijreixiration of this Souv 



iroceed with 
preparation oi tins aouvenir, my 
mind conceived the idea of asking some one 
of the early frequenters of the Great River to 
write up his early experiences. I knew that 
Silas Wright, and Preston King, and Martin 
Van Buren and his son Prince John, and Dr. 
Bethune, and Dr. Holland, as well as the hun- 
dreds of later men of equal ability, includ- 
ing Grant and Sherman and Sheridan, had 
all passed away — their names now only a 
memory — their jjresence never more to be 
recognized by the great nation that delighted 
to honor them when living. Casting about 
for some aged one, yet spared, we tliought of 
Lieut. Gov. Thomas G. Alvord, of Syracuse, 
and he has graciously complied with our re- 
quest. Without further introduction we give 
his admirable letter; ])receding it, however, 
by saying that he was for many years the 
owner and occupant of what is known as 
"Governor's Island," now the property of 
Mr. Emery. It is tlie first island above the 
one iqion which Mr. C. G. Emery built a 
beautiful villa, which he has lately enlarged 
and greatly improved. Mr. Alvord's long 
connection with the political history of the 
State has made his name most familiar to our 
people under the cognomen of "' Old Salt," a 
name earned in the Legislature by his persist- 
ent adherence to the fortunes of Syracuse 
where the well-known Onondaga Salt Springs 
have been so long a source of profit to the 
State, as well as the source of very much of 
the earlier wealth and importance of that city. 



Syracuse, February 25, 1S95. 
Jno. a. Hapuock, Esq.: 

My DEAR Sir. — I am in receipt of your 
isleasant letter of request that I dot down 
something of a history of my early ex|5eri- 
ences as an amateur fisherman on the glorious 
and lordly St. Lawrence. To this request I 



cheerfully accede, and leave to you the deci- 
sion and final judgment whether or not it 
shall find its way into your contemplated 
history of tiie St. Lawrence and its r.ooo 
islands. 

I first began my piscatorial career in the 
waters of the Hudson river, nine miles above 
Albany, when I wasyoungenough to be without 
discretion, but old enough to hook a sunfish, 
and consequently came near, on one occasion, 
being drowned by falling from the dock into 
the river. My love for the sport followed me 
into my college life, and as often as possible I 
explored the waters of Long Island Sound for 
its black-fish, porgies, etc. I carried the 
taste with me to the Berkshire Hills, and in a 
sojourn of two years explored all the trout 
streams and pickerel and bass ponds within 
reach of a day's journey from Pittsfield, Massa- 
chusetts. I divided my time for two years 
between Blackstone and my trout-rod, on the 
edge and over the line between wilderness 
and semi-civilization at Keeseville in Clinton 
county, and, when a full-fledged lawyer in 
Salt Point, I had a right to stick out my sign 
as " .Atty. at Law," there was" (juite often 
added at the bottom a temporary postscript, 
'■ P. S. Gone fishing." 

From time to time I would hear about the 
beauties of the St. Lawrence and its many 
islands in conjunction with its unequalled ex- 
cellence as a hunting ground for ducks, and 
its great abundance of the gamiest fish to be 
found in fresh waters. I had a long-time ac- 
quaintance with a Mr. Dutton, a noted music 
dealer of Utica, who as early as in the later 
forties, was in the habit of spending a portion 
of the year with his sons fishing on the river; 
so finally, in 1852, I proposed to a brother- 
in-law visiting me from Indiana, an excursion 
to Alexandria Bay via Oswego. Accordingly, 
one September morning we landed there from 
the old "Cataract," whose bones have but 




OOVKRNOR ALVORD, 
Author of Two Interestinij Articles in this Souvenir. 



HON. THOMAS C. AI.VORI I'S FISIIIXG EX PERI F.XCEFi. 



5; 



very lately disappeared froiii the waters of the 
lower bay at Clayton, ^here slie had enjoyed 
a rest for many years after she ceased to be 
a floating passenger transport. At that time 
Alexandria Bay was the Mecca of fishermen, 
and Clayton .the headquarters of square-tim- 
ber cutting, and no boatman for fisher-folk 
hailed from there until some years thereafter. 
Old man Crossmon kept the only caravansarie 
at Alexandria Bay, and his then small estab- 
lishment on the rocks was hardly ever found 
unable to accommodate all comers. The 
enormous charge of $r.oo per day also in- 
cluded sufficient lunch for the noon-day meal 
of both sportsman and guide, taken " al fresco," 
on some opportune island; the food furnished 
was well prepared, and the more delicate ac- 
cessions, now considered almost necessities, 
were provided under the careful watch of the 
hostess. It was always neat, abundant and 
palatable. 

The boats of that day were but the crude 
prototypes of the present exquisite ones, which 
have no superiors on the globe in form, finish 
or perfect adaptability, with their well-matched 
oars, center boards, cushioned chairs, and 
other requisites, superior in all respects for 
the uses to which they are put. Then, under 
the command of Commodore Ned Patterson, 
still living and still a guide (octogenarian sure, 
if not centenarian), I embarked on my first 
fishing excursion in a boat made of pine (not 
piano finished), sharp at each end, not more 
than 14 feet long, low-sided, with naked 
wooden boards, without back-rests for seats. 
Loaded down almost invariably on the return 
from a day's fishing with their human cargo 
and catch of fish, the gunwales would be peril- 
ously near the level of the water of the river. 
The remembered oarsmen or guides of that 
day were old man Griffin, Ned Patterson, 
Alph and Tom Comstock, the last named 
being my favorite, and after my first visit in- 
variably my guide until some time after .Alex- 
andria Bay was abandoned for Clayton as the 
nearer point for the more desirable fishing 
grounds. Not knowing the outfit best adapted 
to the river in the matter of fishing-tackle, and 
being advised that the boatman furnished all 



that was necessary in that regard, we took none 
with us, but used the native tools. These were 
crude in very deed, the poles were home-made; 
the lines were rougii and the spoon for trolling 
was literally the bowl of an iron or pewter 
spoon with a single big coarse hook, brazed 
on the lower end, and attached to the line 
without swivel, and did not rotate but simply 
wobbled in the water; live bait for bass was 
not then thought of, but a sujiply of worms 
accompanied each boat. The Duttons were 
there with their mord artistic ajspliances, con- 
sisting of spoons with swivels, and of various 
colors, and fairly smooth laid-lines and jointed 
bambo rods; but with all their fancy rigs they 
\ery seldom succeeded in beating our catch 
with the homelier tools. Rev. Dr. Bethune 
was there; he was the donor of the .Stone 
Church in tlie village, in which, much to the 
gratification of the natives and visitors, he 
always officiated on Sundays when in town. 
He was a bass fisherman and used a fly as a 
lure. After leaving Utica for New York he 
still occasionally was to be met in the season 
at his favorite resort luring the bass with tlie 
delusive fly during the week, and tempting 
men and women on Sundays, by his powerful 
pulpit eloquence, to a better and purer life. 
There and then I first met Seth Green, and 
then commenced a warm friendship which 
ended only with his death. He never failed 
for years to sup|5ly me, " unsolicited on my 
part," with an abundance of his own-make of 
flies, both single and in gang, and whenever we 
met he always gave me a learned lecture on 
the progress in piscatorial science and art. 
He was at that time and for many years there- 
after the only fisher dweller on any of the 
beautiful islands of the St. Lawrence Archi- 
pelago, making the now renowned Manhattan 
Island his home where his house may still be 
seen, though remodeled [see frontispiece]. His 
memory will be " Green "in the recollection of 
many to whom his example and teachings have 
imparted a love for a sport and pastime com- 
pelling them to commune with nature where 
dressed in lier most enticing garb and to drink 
in the pure air of heaven, bearing to them a 
healthful cure — restoring body and soul to a 



ss 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



perfect health and vigor, and sending one back 
to battle with the world with not only renewed 
and restored bodily strength but with a mind 
attuned to a higher and purer conception of 
duty to themselves and others. 

The recital of the surroundings of my first 
visit to the St. Lawrence would be incomplete 
if I did not dot down my impressions of the 
natural beauties of the scene afforded by the 
river and its many island gems. I am a 
natural fisherman; given intensely, whenever 
opportunity permits, to entice and ensnare 
the cunning water dwellers. I have been a 
visitor to tlie St. Lawrence, with but two 
exceptions, each returning season, for over 
forty years; and during that period I have 
again and again traversed in its widest extent 
every nook and corner, islet and island, and 
mainland as well, every shoal and deep of the 
St. Lawrence, from Cliippewa on the north 
to the deep indentation at the head of Long or 
Wolfe Island, stretching up into Lake Ontario, 
called Reed's Bay. I have never been any 
day upon the water, when my line has not 
been neglected for hours in order to drink in 
the invigorating and health-laden air and the 
wondrous, indescribable beauty and (may I 
say it?) sublimity of diversified island and en- 
circling water. 

I am not going to prolong this screed by a 
recital of my wonderful exploits as a fisher- 
man. I leave that task to time, and, perhaps, 
in the distant future I may be deified as the 
great " American Fisherman," and my re- 
ported deeds almost match with those wonder- 
ful tales rehearsed at camp fire, or where'er 
the jolly fishermen congregate. 

Suffice it to say that I generally captured 
all the fish I was entitled to, but, what was 
far better, I took in annually a load of health 
which has prolonged my life and made me 
retain the feelings of youth in spite of the in- 



creasing number of years added to my roll- 
call. 

An article on the i,ooo islands of the St. 
Lawrence would be incomplete unless a full 
descri[)tion of one of their noted features, 
" The Boatman, or Guide," was given. Both 
by an experience and observation of 40 years 
I have carefully noted and studied them, and 
can safely claim for them a deservedly proud 
position; in the main, browned by their con- 
stant exposure and wearing the rough habili- 
ments necessary for their calling, they are, 
with rare 'exception. Gentlemen in the truest 
acceptation of the word ; accomplished oars- 
rnen and sailors. Though not learned in 
books, they read the weather more correctly 
than do the trained signal-service men of the 
Government; they are perfect masters in the 
knowledge of the ways of the errant fishes; 
under their care, gentle woman and careless 
child are safe from all harm or danger. They 
are enthusiastic sportsmen, they never strike 
for an eight-hour day, but urge the lazy fish- 
erman to an early breakfast and sunrise-start ; 
and, oftener than their employer, insist upon 
one more circle or cast, so as to add another to 
the well-filled fish box, even if the shades of 
night are deepening around them. In all the 
time I have known the river I have never 
heard of the loss of the life of a fisherman or 
visitor by the carelessness of the Guide. 
Without apparent fatigue, they ply the oar for 
more than twenty miles, to be repeated each 
recurring day. They teach the tyro the gentle 
art, they cook you a noon-day meal the gods 
might envy; never sulking, always anxious to 
do all they can for your comfort and success. 
The Boatman of the t,ooo islands is easily the 
peer of that great army who contribute to the 
innocent enjoyment of others. 

THOMAS G. ALVORD. 

Syracuse, February, 1895. 



THE FRENCH OWNERS OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



6i 



THE FRENCH OWNERS OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



IT may interest the reader to know who, next 
to the Aborigines, were the first owners 
of what where known to the French as " Les 
Milles Isles," and to their British conquerors, 
and to us, as "The Thousand Islands." In 
the abstracts of "the Fealty Rolls " (Actes de 
foy et Hommage), to be found in Vol. IV of 
the Canadian Archives at Ottawa, is a record 
of the original title to these islands, which 
then constituted a single grant or "fief." 
The entire body of islands was first granted to 
Sieurs Plot de Langloisierie and Petit, in 
17 14; and, with some enlargements, was re- 
granted to the same parties in 1752. After 
the death of the original grantees, one-half of 
the original fief, that is to say, one-half of the 
entire body of islands, was granted to Louis 
Hertel and Sieur Lamarque; both of whom 
took the oath of fealty, the former as the 
widower of Marie Hippolyte Celeron, and 
husband of Susanne Piot de Langloisierie; 
and the latter, as the husband of Marie Anne 
Theresa Celoron de Blainville, who was the 
daughter, as was Marie Hippolyte Celeron, of 
Sieur Celeron de Blainville, M'd'lle Piot de 
Langloisiere, daughter 'of the first owner. 

The other half of the fief, with its enlarge- 
ment, was granted to Eustache Louis Lambert 
Dumont. who had acquired the right of his 
brothers and sisters, all being children of 
Eustache Lambert Dumont and his wife 
Charlotte, also a daugher of the first owner. 
Later on, one-fourth of the fief was trans- 
ferred to Catherine Claus, widow of William 
Claus. John Johnson Claus and Warren 
Claus, sons of William Claus; and Catherine 
Anne Claus and a widow Geale, a married 
daughter of William Claus, and also her chil- 
dren by marriage, took the oath in relation 
to AVilliam Claus' part of the fief, which he 
had purchased from one Jacob Jordan, and 
he from Simon Fraser, who purchased from 
Louis Hertel de Chambly, who took the oath 
for half the fief in 1781. Another fourth of 
the fief was held at this time by Jouvier Don- 



tail Lacroix, as heir to his father, Hubert 
Lacroix; and by the purchase of the rights of 
his brothers and sisters. Hubert Lacroix had 
received this part of the fief as a gift from 
Marie Anne Theresa Celeron, the widow of 
Sieur Lamarque. 

The William Claus above mentioned was 
the son of Col. Daniel Claus, who was a 
prominent officer in the War of the Revolution. 
He was the deputy superintendent of Indian 
affairs, and at one time was dejnity quarter- 
master-general under Col. Barry St. Leger, 
on the expedition to Fort Stanwix. Col. 
Claus spent a great portion of his time during 
the war at Montreal, but was a frequent visitor 
at Carlton Island, and other posts on lake 
Ontario. He was born in the Mohawk valley, 
and having an intimate knowledge of the Iro- 
quois language, he was appointed interpreter 
for Sir William Johnson, and accompanied 
him on the expedition against Dieskau, as a 
lieutenant of rangers. He married a daughter 
of Sir William Johnson. He became a captain 
in 1761, and in 1776 visited England, and re- 
turned as deputy superintendent of Indians, 
with the rank of colonel. He died in Cardiff, 
Wales, in 1787. His wife died in Canada in 
1801. It was he who translated tlie book of 
Common Prayer into the Indian tongue. 

How these grants were finally disposed of, 
the writer is unable to say; but at all events, 
one-half of the original fief passed into the 
hands of the United States after the War of the 
Revolution, and were by them sold to Alex- 
ander Macomb. Whether the owners were re- 
imbursed by the British government, does not 
appear, nor does it appear in what way the 
St. Regis Indians have a claim upon that part 
of the Thousand Islands which lie in Canadian 
waters. One thing, however, is certain ; if 
those old proprietors could be favored to-day 
with a bird's-eye view of their former posses- 
sions, they would be somewhat astonished at 
their appearance, especially with the Yankee 
half of the original fief; and, but for a jieculiar 



62 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



sentimentalism which for years has pervaded 
the country press of Canada, the whole fief 
would be to-day the wealthiest and most at- 
tractive summer resort in the world, and 
equally as beneficial to Canada as to the 
United States. Now that the sale of many of 
the islands in Canadian waters has been made, 



let us look for such improvements as will 
correspond with their natural beauties and 
splendid situation, and commensurate with 
the magnitude of the grand Canadian province 
in which they are located, and with the energy 
and patriotism of her refined and cultivated 
people. 




SHOOTING THE RAPIDS. 



THOUSAND ISLAND PARK. 



/^THIS park seems to have been an out- 
^^ growth of that wave of religious senti- 
ment which swept over the country about 
1874 — the result, perhaps, of the reaction in 
men's minds which usually follows great 
financial depression. Its contemporary de- 
velopments are visible at Asbury Park and 
Ocean Grove, two grand summer resorts upon 
the seaboard of New Jersey, and the latter 
manifestation of the same sentiment at Chau- 
tauqua, in Western New York. All of these 
movements towards summer residences bore a 
distinctly religious character, and were the 
outgrowth of a sincere desire to glorify God, 
and yet, in doing so, to make summer homes 
where families could receive the benefit of 
change of scene and of air and perhaps in 
their manner of living. 

The manifestation of this impulse at Thou- 
sand Island Park is due to the efforts of Rev. 
J. F. Dayan, a well-known Methodist minis- 
ter, now on the retired list. He conceived 
the idea that the Methodist denomination 
would gladly support such a resort, and he 
selected the southwesterly end of Wellsley 
Island as the most eligible spot. The selec- 
tion was judicious, and his efforts were soon 
appreciated. The needed lands were mainly 
purchased (r,ooo acres) from Capt. Throop, 
whose title was only the third remove from 
the State itself. Success crowned the Associa- 
tion's efforts, ;|;22,ooo worth of lots having 
been sold in a single day. Men struggled to 
secure the most desirable sites. It was un- 
fortunate for the young town, however, that 
the extreme religious element so far prevailed 
that illy-considered restrictions were imposed 
as to entrance fee, etc., but in time these 



peculiar views have given way to more liberal 
ideas. To this day, however, no steamer is 
allowed to land at their dock on the Sabbath, 
the present management adhering to the 
original plan that the Sabbath should be not 
only a day of rest but of religious observance. 
The Thousand Island Park is now, as it was 
at the beginning, a place where a man can 
leave his wife and children and feel sure that 
they will not be exposed to any harmful influ- 
ence of any nature — a place where " the 
assassins of society " would have no induce- 
ment whatever to come. 

The situation of the jjark'is superior. Back 
from the river-front plateau rises a rocky 
mound, nearly 200 feet in height, which 
afforded a permanent and accessible locality 
for a water reservoir with pressure enough to 
flood the highest buildings. The soil is pro- 
ductive, resting upon the moraine of this 
region, the result of glacial action. The 
second-growth of timber is mainly oak and 
elm, remarkably straight and vigorous, and 
the lot-owners are only called upon to decide 
what tree should be felled, and not what they 
should plant. It is difficult to conceive of a 
finer location. With man's intelligent super- 
vision the place may be made the most de- 
lightful in America. Other resorts have the 
ocean, with its drifting sands, its fogs, its 
storms — this park has the great St. Law- 
rence, whose waters come sweeping down 
from the far Northwest, pure as the melting 
snow can make them, fresh as the breath of 
spring, placid as Nature itself. To live in 
such a spot is a benediction for man ; there 
he forgets his cares, and grows into a life of 
contentment and thankfulness. 



64 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



At the Thousand Islands there is a percep- 
tible odor of ozone in the atmosphere. By 
some it is called a " sulphurous," by others a 
fishy smell. But there is a difference. Ozone 
is of itself an energetic chemical agent. It is 
a preservative, not a putrifying influence. In 
this it differs widely from oxygen, the princi- 
ple in the air which assists in decay. There 
seems to be a reason for the belief that the 
beneficial effects produced upon many invalids 
from a residence amoncr the Thousand Islands 



The original trustees were : Chancellor E- 
D. Haven, D. D., President ; Willard Ives, 
Vice-President; Col. Albert D. Shaw, John 
F, Moffett, J. F. Dayan, E. C Curtis, E. 
Remington, Hon. James Johnson, M. D. 
Kinney. 

Mr. Dayan continued a member of the 
board and as secretary and general manager 
until i88i. Chancellor Haven resigned in 
1881, having been made one of the Bishops 
of the church at the preceding General Con- 







THE coi.UNn;i..\ Horiii, Ar 'rnousANn island park. 



or upon the sea-shore, is due largelv to the 
ozone discernible in those localities. 

An indication of the progressive spirit of the 
park is the Thousand Island Herald, a weekly 
newspaper published there, ably conducted, 
of which E F. Otis is editor, and Rev. Wil- 
liam Searle, manager. 

The original capital of the .Association was 
fixed at §15.000. of which Sy.too was paid in 
cash. On January itth, 1876, the indebted- 
ness of the Association was ijj!24,647.8i and 
the assets $57,300.94- Tiie capital was after- 
wards increased to i|5o,ooQ. 



ference. He was succeeded by Rev. 1. S. 
Bingham, D. D., who, in 1883, gave place 
to Rev. M. D. Kinney, A. M., who had been 
a member of the board of trustees from the 
first. Under his energetic management many 
improvements were perfected, and there came 
a period of decided growth. He continued 
as President for seven years, and the Park 
owes much to his management, and to the 
fact that he has been of financial aid at many 
times. 

The present trustees are : George P. Folts, 
President ; George C. Sawyer, Vice-Presi- 



THOUSAND ISLAND PARK. 



65 



dent ; Dr. A. W. Goodale, Treasurer; Walter celebrated preachers in the United States and 

Brown, Assistant Treasurer ; W. R. Fitch, Canada, and the reputation of the Park in 

Secretary. Trustees : George P. Folts, F. G. this respect has been admirably sustained. 

Weeks, George C. Sawyer, W. R. Fitch, Wal- Rev. Dr. J. E. C. Sawyer, editor of the 

ter Brown, Dr. A. W. Goodale, James P. Northern Christian Advocate, delivered two 

Lewis, M. R. LeFevre, A. Gurnee. Rev. sermons there on July 22, 1894, that were the 




THE LATE CHARLES CROSSMON, 
The First Summer Hotel-keeper upon the St. Lawrence. 



\Vm. Searles, D. D., is director of the Taber- 
nacle services. 

Frotn the very first the design of the Asso- 
ciation has been to secure the best native 
talent for religious services, and also bringing 
from abroad men of established reputation 
and ability. In this way the noble Taber- 
nacle has had under its roof some of the most 



most finished and stirring the writer has ever 
listened to. The influences that have gone 
out from that Tabernacle have been pecu- 
liarly inspiring and noble, and its services 
have done much to popularize the Park. The 
auditorium has a natural slope, the acoustics 
are admirable, and the sight most unique and 
interesting when the vast place is filled with 



66 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE Rn'ER. 



the sea of upturned faces confronting the 
speaker. ' Situated in a fine growth of oak, 
with great curtains at the sides, which can be 
raised or lowered as desired, the people are 
brought face to face with nature, whence they 
are inspired to look up to nature's God. 

It should not be forgotten that the Park as 
well as the Islands partake of an international 
character to a great extent, and the Union 
Jack floats in close proximity to our own be- 
loved Stars and Stripes, and that prayers 
ascend for the noble Queen from the same 
desk as the petition for our honored Presi- 
dent. 

The population of Thousand Island Park is 
somewhat of a floating one, as regards its per- 
manence, but there can be no doubt as to its 
pre-eminent respectability. It numbers 800 
to 6,000 souls. Indeed the only occasion for 
fear in these established popular resorts is 
that they may- become exclusively the sum- 
mer abodes of the rich alone. At this place, 
however, there are ample accommodations 
for people of every class in point of ma- 
terial wealth, the hotel charges being I13.00 
per day for the best, $1.00 per day for a 
cheaper but really comfortable place, and 



board in private cottages at even less rates. 
It is pre-eminently a democratic place, and 
friendliness is cultivated as not an altogether 
obsolete sentiment. The trustees and officers 
are capable men, composed of persons who 
have made their way from small beginnings 
and have always been in sympathy with plain 
and home-like methods. The cottages are 
numerous, all of them attractive, some beau- 
tiful. We give views of the new hotel which 
replaces the one burned in 1891, and some of 
the more elegant structures. A traveler upon 
any of the steamers which thread their way 
among the islands will observe that more peo- 
ple get on and off at Thousand Island Park 
than all the other resorts put together. The 
plotted ground for cottages occupies about 
100 acres. The Association has sold off 200 
acres for farming, and about 700 acres are 
left, devoted to dairying. 

The pumping engines of the Association, 
their system of sewerage, water supply and 
electric lights are superior and unexcelled. 
Their dynamo plant and the beautiful ma- 
chinery there (of the Watertown Steam En- 
gine Company) are models of mechanical 
skill. J. A. H. 



J^ 















I if 

>^ mw 



Till'. CROSSMON 11 USE ANP ITS TO/WDEA'. 



66t 



THE CROSSMON HOUSE AND ITS FOUNDER. 



IN speaking of Mr. Chaki.esCrossmon, wliose 
portrait is shown on page 65, necessitates an 
extended notice of his house, now one of the 
finest on the river, and ably managed by Iiis 
son, thougli Mrs. Crossmon, Sr., is yet able to 
be about and to give general supervision of 
much of the inner workings of the establish- 
ment. 




" T!1R CROSSMON IN 1S4S." 

Charles Crossmon came to Alexandria 
Bay in 1846, and none of the energetic men 
who have become so prominent in that locality 
has done more (and very few as much) to 
bring into prominence that most deserving and 
popular summer resort than Mr. Crossmon. 
Without any special influence to aid him, and 
without any capital save his own right hand 
and the clear head to govern it, aided by one 
of the most capable and industrious wives the 
country has ever known, he grew into a great 



success as a liotcl-kceper, and left an indelible 
impress upon the Itay that will not be soon 
forgotten, and can nevei' be altogether effaced. 
He was born in AVatertown, N. Y., and had 
but few advantages in his youth, his education 
having been confined to the common school. 
Unluckily for him, and certainly an un])romis- 
ing beginning of a business life which has 
proven so successful, he was one 
of the youngsters who were se- 
duced into that " Patriot " army 
that undertook, in 1837, to in- 
vade Canada and redress the 
"wrongs" which a few Can- 
adian malcontents had glow- 
ingly depicted in "Hunter" 
lodges and elsewhere. Cross- 
mon was one of those who were 
"cooped up'' in the old wind- 
mill below Prescott, and who 
courageously refused to desert 
Von Schoultz, their leader, wlien 
Preston King came at night 
with the " Paul Pry '" and of- 
ered to carry them away to the 
.\merican shore. He was about 
twenty years of age at that time, 
and on account of his youth 
was finally pardoned by the 
British authorities, and released 
after an anxious and somewhat 
protracted imprisonment in Fort 
Henry at Kingston, from which 
several of these " patriots " 
were marched to a felon's death upon the 
scaffold. 

He commenced hotel-keeping in an humble 
way at the Bay in 1848, succeeding his father- 
in-law in a small country tavern adapted to 
the wants of that early day. There were, 
however, even then some visitors to the islands 
and river in pursuit of fish and rest. .Among 
the distinguished men who made the old 
" Crossmon " famous were William H. Seward, 
William L. Marcv, Martin Van Buren and his 



66^ 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE R/J'ER. 



son John, Silas Wright, Frank Blair, Preston 
King, Rev. Dr. Bethune, General Dick Taylor, 
the Breckenridges, and many others equally 
distinguished. 

As the tide of pleasure travel set in toward 
the St. Lawrence and its islands, " The Cross- 
mon " was, from time to time, enlarged, and 
finally the present magnificent hotel was built 
on the site of its earliest predecessor. In the 
new structure everything that is desirable in a 
first-class hotel has been provided for, and in 
its management every facility is furnished, and 
the fullest attention given to the wishes and 
requirements of its guests. Its rooms are all 
pleasantly situated, affording charming views 
of the neighboring scenery. There are suites 
for families, with private bath-rooms and all 
conveniences, besides single and connecting 
rooms in every part of the house, all hand- 
somely furnished. The elevator is in opera- 
tion constantly, and the stairways are broad 
and easy. There are spacious and elegantly 
furnished drawing-rooms, wide corridors and 
broad verandas, and, from the latter, one of 
the most delightful views to be found in this 
entire region may be had. The main dining- 
room is on the river side of the house. Its 
tables are furnished with costly china, silver 
and cut glass and the finest linen, and sup- 
plied with the rarest fruits and delicacies. Its 
service is unexcelled. A pleasant dining-room 
is provided for children in charge of nurses. 
The importance of providing special comforts 
and amusements for the cliildren is recognized 
in and about this establishment. There are 
accommodations for nurses in their care of the 
little ones, and opportunities for wholesome 
sports are at hand. 

" The Crossmon's " surroundings are attrac- 
tive. Every crevice of the immense rock upon 
which its river side rests is adorned with a bed 
of flowers or a small shrub. On the street 
side are graveled walks and drives, and a 
circular plat for out-door games, with easy 
benches protected by a canopy. Stretching 
eastward from the hotel is Crossmon's Point, 
with its broad, level lawn, bordered by the 
docks and landings for steamboats and skiffs. 



The dockage here is the most complete and 
extensive of any on the river. The smooth, 
new planking invites the guests for a prome- 
nade. 

At night " The Crossmon," in doors and out, 
presents a scene of brilliancy. Rovvs of col- 
ored lights illumine the verandas, and shine 
from its many towers, shedding a wealth of 
color upon the water. The drawing-rooms 
are filled with guests engaged in social pas- 
times, and all about the place there is light 
and life and gayety. The arrival of the 
steamers at evening is celebrated by a display 
of fireworks in front of the hotel and on the 
neighboring islands, making a picture inde- 
scribably beautiful. 

In speaking thus extendedly of '' The Cross- 
mon," we have really been illustrating the 
successful efforts of Mr. Crossmon himself, 
for his hotel was his life, and upon it he lav- 
ished all his energy, and it rewarded his 
honest faith. No trouble was too great for a 
guest; the sick had all the care possible if by 
chance they fell ill there, and the result was 
that every guest became a personal friend. 
In that way " The Crossmon " has enjoyed a 
steady return of its old patrons year by year. 
Indeed one patron has spent thirty-eight con- 
secutively recurring summers there. 

Personally Mr. Crossmon was unassuming, 
earnest in his friendships, steadfast in his pur- 
poses, and loyal to all those who aided to de- 
velop Alexandria Bay. In the midst of his 
complete success he was called away to 
another country, leaving a name unblemished, 
and a memory sweet and grateful. 

The elder Crossmon having died in 1892, 
Mr. Charles W. Crossmon succeeds the firm 
of Crossmon & Son, whose management has 
made this hotel noted throughout the world, 
and the favorite headquarters in later days of 
such men as President Arthur, Gen. Sheridan, 
Cardinal McClosky, Herbert Spencer, Charles 
Dudley Warner, B. F. Reinhart, Will Carleton, 
and other notables, whose spoken and written 
praises have added greatly to the popularity 
of the islands and this fine hotel, which keeps 
pace with progress. 




DR. AUUISON \vr;ht goouale. 



SOME BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



DR. ADDISON WIGHT GOODALE, 

Financial Agent of tlic Tliousand Island Park Association, 



).\S the son of Ruggles and Betsey Wight 
Goodale, who settled at an early day 
in Fowler, St. Lawrence County, N. Y., wJiere 
the subject of our sketch was born, August 17, 
1831. His early education was in the com- 
mon schools of that primitive period, until 
1 85 1. He afterwards attended the Gouver- 
neur Wesleyan Seminary for two years. In 



1855 he began to study medicine with Dr. 
Abell, at Antwerp, afterwards graduating at 
the Albany Medical College as an M. D. 
This was in 1858, and in that year he married 
Miss Helen Jane Fowler, daughter of Lester 
and Dollie Fowler, of Antwerp. In 1858, he 
began the practice of medicine in the town of 
Rutland, following those older men, Drs. 



70 



A SOW EM R OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



Manson, Smith and Spencer. He was in 
practice there when the Rebellion showed its 
horrid front, and when the loth Heavy Artil- 
lery was recruited, he joined it as assistant 
surgeon. He served with that fine body of 
troops until their final muster-out in July, 
1865, proving himself an able, industrious, 
and conscientious officer. [For muster-out 
rolls of the officers of this large and gallant 
regiment, see p. 75 of Haddock's History of 
Jefferson County.] 

His protracted absence in the army had 
largely depleted his practice, and when he 
was mustered out he removed his family to 
Watertown, where he remained until 1S67, 
and then accepted a position in the medical 
department of the Phcenix Mutual Life In- 
surance Co., at Hartford, Conn. The Doctor 
became a trusted and important officer in 
that company, particularly in settling claims. 
This relation with that leading company con- 
tinued until 1S85, when he returned to Water- 
town. He has since been engaged in banking 
in South Dakota, now being president of a 
bank there. He is a large land-owner in the 
West and in Jefferson county. Though edu- 
cated as a physician, he may appropriately be 
classed as a farmer. But the only thing the 
writer has ever heard him allude to in any 



spirit of pride or emulation was in connection 
with his service as a school teacher, he having 
taught eight seasons, and there are hundreds 
of men and women now in active life who can 
look back to Dr. Goodale's advice and in- 
struction for the starting point in their en- 
deavors to live useful lives. 

In 1S85, Dr. Goodale was elected one of 
the directors of the Thousand Island Park 
Association, and is now the treasurer and 
chief financial officer of that important organi- 
zation, which is spoken of elsewhere in this 
History. The exacting duties of this position, 
together with his own private business, now 
take up all his time, leaving him no leisure 
for the practice of his profession. 

The Doctor is a large man, nearly six feet 
tall, of pleasant face and agreeable speech — 
companionable and friendly ■ — inviting confi- 
dence by his open countenance and pleasant 
ways. Springing from " the plain people," 
he is pre-eminently democratic, easily ap- 
proached, an honored citizen, because an 
honorable one. He is yet in the prime of 
life, although he is one of those who passed 
through our great war after he had come fully 
to man's estate. His excellent wife shares his 
prosperity, and it is a pleasure to see them 
together. 



REV. JOHN FERDINAND DAYAN, 



\E LL known as a distinguished minister in 
the Methodist Episcopal church, was 
born in the town of Lyme, Jefferson county, N. 
Y., January 23, 1819. His father was Dr. John 
Dayan, a distinguished physician, who came 
from Lowville, where he was educated and stud- 
ied medicine with Dr. Perry, also a distinguished 
surgeon in his day. Soon after obtaining his 
degree. Dr. John Dayan married Polly Henry, 
of Lowville, N. Y., whose father was a cap- 
tain in the Revolutionary army, and among 
the earliest settlers of Lewis county. The 
doctor emigrated to the town of Lyme, where 
he commenced the practice of his profession, 
and continued it until his death by accidental 
drowning in July, 1835, in his 42nd year. 



The Dayan family trace their descent from 
a prominent Austrian family, in which were 
three celebrated military generals, the last of 
whom was that field marshal who was com- 
mander-in-chief of all the armies under Maria 
Theresa, in her seven years' war against Fred- 
erick the Great. The family was originally 
of German origin — a town bearing the name 
of Daun still existing in that country. About a 
hundred years ago the name was Americanized 
by changing the spelling from Daun to Dayan. 
On leaving college, the paternal grandfather 
of Mr. Dayan came to America during the 
Revolutionary war. He landed in New York 
in 17S0, and died in Amsterdam, N. Y., in 
1893. 



SOAJE BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



71 



After the death of his father, the subject of 
this slcetch went to Uve with his uncle, Judge 
Charles Dayan, of Lowville, N. Y. There he 
entered the Lowville Academy. After com- 
pleting his academic course, he studied law. 
Just previous to his being admitted to the bar, 
he became interested in the study of the Bible 



In 1845 he was united in marriage to Miss 
Clarissa Julia Chase, eldest daughter of Rev. 
Squire Chase, one of the earliest missionaries 
to darkest Africa. The writer remembers 
him as a man of extraordinary force and 
capacity. He was one of the best organizers 
the Methodist heirarchy could command at 




REV. JOHN FERDINAND^ DAYAN. 



as a law book, which led to his conversion 
and connection with the Methodist Episcopal 
church in the Spring of 1842. Under the pas- 
toral guidance of Rev. James Erwin, he uni- 
ted with the Black River Conference in 1844, 
and entered upon the work of the ministry, in 
which he continued until 1867, when his fail- 
ing health necessitated his giving it up. 



that time. Of stalwart frame, his presence 
was commanding. He possessed a voice of 
great volume, and it reached to the uttermost 
parts of the largest church. He was regarded 
as the ablest preacher in the old Black River 
Conference. 

Rev. Mr. Dayan served the following 
charges : LeRay, Adams, Clayton, Syracuse, 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



Fairfield, Lowville, Theresa, Cape Vincent, 
liion, Carthage. 

At Theresa the writer and his family sat 
under his preaching. His manner was per- 
suasive, his diction classical, his sermons 
more than interesting — they touched the 
heart. The largest revival remembered in 
Theresa was during his pastorate, and when 
he left that charge he carried with him the 
affectionate remembrance of every member of 
the church and congregation. 

In 1866 he was made Presiding Elder of 
the Watertown district, a position calling for 
a robust constitution and endless industry. 
His labors in that position impaired his 
health, and he relinquished with many regrets 
his cherished life-work. 

Mr. Dayan was in every respect a progres- 
sive man, and in 1872-3 he had given much 
thought to the project of opening a Christian 
summer resort among the Thousand Islands. 
To him, more than to any other one man, is 
due, not only the inception of the plan, but 
its reduction to a practical basis. Not that 
his plan met with disfavor or that some capi- 
talist could not be found who would invest 
money enough to try the experiment. But 
the details were enormous ; the amount of 



tact required was surprising, for local jeal- 
ousies had to be placated, the enthusiasm of 
the Methodists aroused, and the organization 
so poised as to be distinctly religious, yet not 
repelling those who were not church members 
nor church goers. In all these intricate manip- 
ulations Mr. Dayan showed himself an adept 
— manifesting a business capacity that sur- 
prised his friends. His plans found ample 
fruition, and the Thousand Island Park stands 
to-day his ablest advocate. For six years 
Mr. Dayan was the manager of that Associa- 
tion, and, up to the time he resigned from its 
board of control, it owed to his forethought, 
perseverance and zeal all that it was. 

Thenceforward his life has merged gradu- 
ally into the " sere and yellow leaf." With 
health much impaired he waits patiently for 
that passing hence which will reveal to him 
the blessedness of those who, through evil and 
good report, in hours of deepest despondency, 
even when tormented by doubts and uncer- 
tainties, have yet steadily stood for Christ and 
his glorious cause ; and who, having been 
faithful over a few things, shall surely be 
called to the command of higher things, and 
even reign with Him whose faithful servant he 
has been for nearly sixty years. j. a. h. 



THE MEN I HAVE MET UPON THE GREAT RIVER. 

BY THOS. G. ALVORD, EX-LIEUT. -GOV. OF NEW YORK. 



/^^ FRIEND has suggested that I could 
I \ write a very interesting human history 
of the river's rapid growth as a sportsman's 
paradise, a health-bearing, exhilarating, joy- 
inspiring refuge for tired and invalid human- 
ity. It will be readily conceded that in the 
performance of my task I must omit mention 
of many — for the many I have met are legion 
in number. And again, looking back over a 
period of more than forty years, I must un- 
avoidably fail to recall many, the mention of 
whose names would be of great interest. In 
order to do justice to my own city and to 
scores of other cities and towns, I would need 
but strike a few names from their annual 



directories, and then append the corrected 
lists to this article, to enumerate '' The Men 
I Have Met upon the Great River." But to 
accomplish the undertaking in some accept- 
able way and within reasonable limits, I must 
cease apology and explanations, and proceed 
with my projected work, or I shall never 
finish it. 

I have already, in another chapter in this 
Souvenir, had something to say of my first 
experience on the noble river, and I beg again 
to introduce to your notice the Rev. Dr. 
Bethune, the original fly-caster of the St. 
Lawrence. Need I say that his profound 
learning, his acknowledged preeminence as a 



THE MEN I HAVE MET UPON THE GREAT RIVER. 



71 



pulpit orator, and withal his kindly, open- 
hearted. Christian benevolence will remain a 
pleasant remembrance so long as the waters of 
his beloved river flow from the lakes to the sea. 

The Buttons, father and sons, who gave 
us the silken line and the polished rotating 
spoon, will be remembered as giving as much 
of music and harmony to their beloved pas- 
time as did their unequaled collection of 
drum and fife, cymbal and hautboy, fiddle 
and flute to their music-loving neighbors in 
" the pent up city," where their memory is 
ever green. 

Is it necessary to make aught of explanation 
in bringing Seth Green to your notice ? 
Not learned in schools, but an untiring, bright 
student of nature, he read as from an open 
book all the secrets of the finny tribe, over 
whom, by the consent of fishes and men, he 
was the sole and undisputed ruler. Educated 
in the school of Nature, he was Nature's 
nobleman, with a heart beating kindly toward 
all things animate. 

Another noted individual is mixed in vvith 
my earliest recollections of the river. It is true 
I had never met him there, for he had visited 
the bay for the first and only time the year 
before my first arrival, but every time (and 
that was often) I tried the then super-excellent 
fishing-ground near the foot of Grenadier, I 
was very emphatically told where he had 
lunched when fishing, and he had lunched 
there so often that the natives, taking advan- 
tage of the fact that the much-lunched island 
lacked a name, solemnly decreed that from 
that time and forever thereafter it should be 
known as '"Van Buren's Island." It may 
be that the man is forgotten, but I believe 
that it is a matter of history that he was in 
the cloudy and distant past once President of 
the United States; but, not being reelected, 
he went — fishing. But once I did come 
near to fishing in his company. Having given 
up his "job" at Washington and retired to 
the Lindenwold shades of sleepy Kinderhook 
he, after "cradeling his buckwheat," would 
hie to the lovely Hudson, a short two miles 
away, to fish. I happened one day to be the 
guest of a gentleman who lived on the bay 



where "Matty" was wont to fish; and on 
that day, he at one end and I ai the other of 
the bay — both "Matty and myself — bobbed 
for white perch; each, I am hajipy to say, 
with great success. 

In the later days of my periodical sojourn 
with old man Grossman, there came thitlier 
two of our country's most distinguished men 
on their way to the haunts of the princely 
salmon of the Sauguenay, pausing here for a 
few days to tempt the springy, cunning, sport- 
creating bass of the St. Lawrence. Theirs 
was a friendship at that time (somewhat 
clouded in later years) like that of Damon 
and Pythias. Utterly unlike in temperament, 
manners and action, they were both, I sin- 
cerely believe, a unit in their unselfish, power- 
ful devotion to the best interests of their coun- 
try in her hour of sorest trial and direst need. 
If in RoscoE CoNKLiNG, that stubborn, self- 
will, uncontrollable temper, never-dying enmity 
to all who dared oppose his will, had been 
tempered and softened by the suave, courtly 
and conciliatory manners and tact of Chester 
A. Arthur — in fine, if the better qualities of 
each had been used to neutralize the failings 
of both, it would have added increased weight 
to their great deeds patriotically done to save 
the Nation's life. Humanity is frail, never 
perfect; but in the world's picture of great men 
the heads of Conkling and Arthur will 
loom up as did that of Saul among the prophets. 

In the last year of my annually recurring 
stay at Alexandria Bay I met and fraternized 
with William J. Skinner, Gen. Benjamin F. 
Bruce and Franklin A. Alberger, the three 
Canal Commissioners of the State, and in 
their company Nathaniel S. Benton, then 
and for twelve years Auditor of the Canal 
Department, who had also during his long 
and busy life well and worthily discharged the 
duties of Surrogate, State Senator, United 
States Attorney for ten years. County Judge 
and Secretary of State. While they were 
ostensibly fishing, they were really weighing 
and measuring the probabilities of the success 
of an attempt of the mighty river to deflect to 
its own channel on its way to the ocean, the 
rapidly growing tonnage of the boundless 



74 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



West, and to steal it away from our canals — 
those magnificent artificial waterways, alike the 
glory of the State and the wonder of the 
world, then under their official care. Skinner 
proposed that above where the Great River 
took its primal leap in its heedless flight o'er 
rocky barrier and through mountain gorge in 
its mad haste to meet the sea, to swerve the 
mighty flow of its great body of waters to the 
valley of that other Great River the incom- 
parable Hudson ; but Bruce and Albergek, 
with the potent aid of Benton, rolled the 
mighty cloud-piercing peaks of the Adiron- 
dacks in his pathway, and sadly and reluc- 
tantly Skinner abandoned the attempt. They 
finally departed with the satisfying belief that 
Nature had reared insurmountable barriers to 
the accomplishment of the river's dream of 
victory. Charon's boat has long since ferried 
them all across the dark stream, all too soon 
for them to know that men of their own blood 
pull down mountains and fill up seas with 
nature's forces tamed to their bidding. Already 
that growing city standing at the head of the 
greatest body of inland waters known to the 
world, demands and will have an unbroken 
waterway to the earth-encircling oceans. 
Proctor Knott, with burning eloquence, in- 
tentionally sarcastic, but truly prophetic, has 
made enduring fame for Duluth, its own great 
opportunities, coupled with its determined 
push and energy, compliment — aye, accentu- 
ate his unintentioned prediction. Our blood 
cousins and friendly rivals over the border, 
unstintedly aided from the overflowing coffers 
of the grand old Mother across the sea, are 
already deeping and widening the channel 
and curbing the rush of the mighty river, 
building with its own stone and filling with its 
own vifater the gigantic steps overcoming the 
elevation from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes, 
and soon shall we view floating easily past our 
shores the mammonth freight-bearing ships of 
the world, laden with cargoes at the elevator- 
docks of Duluth, 2,000 miles inland from the 
western shore of the Atlantic, to be discharged 
unbroken at the distant ports of Europe, an- 
other 3,000 miles away from where inland flow 
and ocean tide meet to greet its coming. 



In company with the Commissioners, and 
often thereafter, we joyfully welcomed the 
pleasant companion, skilled angler and accom- 
plished clerk of Mr. Skinner, Mr. Hopkins, 
of Little Falls, occasionally accompanied by 
his worthy brothers in unity, Birch and La- 
due, whose names and merited fame in those 
olden days scorned to be bound by the nar- 
row valley of the bloody Mohawk. Wright, 
the story teller of Geneva, the Jefferson county 
wit, and AValrath, the terrible joker of 
Oneida, both good men and true, sometime 
Division Commanders on the Erie, have been 
met sounding the depth and measuring the 
breadth of its giant rival, the St. Lawrence. 

In 1866 I changed my base, for at this time 
the habitat of the desirable game-fish seemed 
to have moved up stream, so that the boys of 
the Burg had to pull against the current of 
Wellesly Island in order to successfully com- 
l)ete with their Clayton rivals; at Clayton 
there were then two notable caravanseries, 
the Hubbard and the Walton, and without 
premeditation I dropped into the Hubbard, 
where for eleven years I was a summer fixture. 
Permit me to say here that both houses had 
good and well-deserved reputations, enhanced 
by the fact that the genial hosts were friends 
not rivals, and in its best sense friends of the 
guests of both; a favor (often offered) asked 
by the guest of one at the hands of the other, 
was met and granted promptly and cordially. 
I but voice the sincerely deep regret of their 
army of friends at their untimely taking off, 
and bespeak for their brave widows the kindly 
and bounteous sujjport of all those who knew 
and esteemed their departed husbands. Mrs. 
Johnson is yet actively engaged in the care of 
the Walton, the grand property left her by her 
husband ; and one who has seen her and re- 
calls the fact that she was a neice of General 
WiLLiAji H. Angel, the broadest man Clay- 
ton ever knew, will not fail to gladly come 
within the charmed circle of her kindly care 
and elegant personality. 

About this period began the idea of island 
ownership and summer cottage; among the 
first to adventure was a broker from New York, 
Eugene A. Robinson, who e.xpended money 



THE MEN I HAVE MET UPON THE GREAT RIVER. 



77 



freely on his island in grading and docking 
and the erection of a commodious and roomy 
mansion. He flourished for a time, an erratic 
meteor athwart the island sky, but at last the 
gravitation of his own errors brought him, 
burnt out and exhausted, down to earth. 

One of my esteemed colleagues in the halls 
of legislation, and later, an honored represent- 
ative of his district in Congress, E. Kirk 
Hart, of Orleans, built himself at an early 
day, an imposing mansion facing Alexandria. 

I have sailed and angled on the water and 
often lunched on the green-sward of an island 
in the company of the world-renowned sculp- 
tor, R. H. Park. His more recently reported 
social standing, if true, leaves his artist fame 
his only claim for recollection. 

I must occasionally bunch the men I have 
met on the river, and generalize their good 
points, else I will be unable to enumerate a 
tithe of the most worthy ; so permit me to 
say that at Albany "as colleagues," and on 
the noble stream that marks the northwestern 
bounds of their county " as friends " I have 
met Hon. William Dewey, Hon. William 

BUTTERFIELD, JaMES JOHNSTON, Col. W. W. 

Ends, Hon. George E. Yost, Hon. Chas. 
R. Skinner, Hon. Henry Spicer, Hon. 
William M. Thomson and Hon. John D. 
Ellis, representatives of the County of Jef- 
ferson. In the role of law-makers of the 
State, I pronounce them all to have been 
faithful, capable and honest in the discharge 
of their official duties. We always meet with 
smiles of welcome and with hearty handshake. 
Some of them have been called, and have not 
been found wanting in the faithful and worthy 
discharge of other public duties. 

It would seem proper in this connection to 
mention others of my fellow-legislators who 
renewed and strengthened the friendship be- 
gun at Albany by kindly greeting and min- 
gled pleasures on the peaceful islands of the St. 
Lawrence : Van Horn, Van Valkenburgh 
and Low followed down, from Niagara's col- 
losal leap, her angry waters, until, peaceful 
and quiet, they gently laved the shores of the 
many island-gems of the Great River; Burns 
and DuGuiD, of Onondaga, the " two 



Charlies," Baker, of Monroe, and Chick- 
ERiNG, of Lewis ; Warner Miller, of Her- 
kimer ; CoNGDON, of Cattaraugus ; A. X. 
Parker, of St. Lawrence ; A. B. Hepburn, 
of the same county ; Mooers, of Clinton, and 
Kern, of Madison. All these may well be 
proud of their public records. They have 
each enjoyed with me innocent sport in the 
balmy air of the River of Rivers. 

A prominent figure on the river for many 
years was Theodore S. Faxton. I first 
knew him in my boyhood-days, as one of that 
coterie of brainy men — Parker, Butter- 
field, Childs and Faxton — controlling in 
the office or from the driver's box those won- 
derful lines of post-coaches which radiated 
from Utica, reaching East, West, North and 
South, the uttermost parts of our noble State, 
just then emerging from a state of nature into 
an active, thriving, energetic Commonwealth 
of civilization and progress. Theodore S. 
Faxton was a prominent factor in this march 
of progress, keeping pace with the onward 
step ; from the position of an humble stage- 
driver, he reached the higher rounds of life's 
ladder, dying universally honored and deeply 
mourned. 

In marked contrast, there was another well- 
known Utican, a frequent and ever-welcome 
visitor; few in the State are ignorant of the 
name and fame of Ammi D. Barbour. For 
many years, as soon as the halls of legislation 
were opened to the annual inrush of the peo- 
ple's servants, Barbour, seeking no certificate 
from an avowed constituency, followed in 
their wake and quietly, from choice, took his 
stand "outside but close up to the bulwarks '' 
— a cool, level-headed mind-reader, with a 
persuasively eloquent tongue and a well-lined 
pocket, he forced upon the ignorant or lucre- 
loving representative the course which, not 
perhaps leading to glory, would certainly be 
to the " material " profit of the legislator ; 
active and efficient in the ranks, he was early 
made his chief of staff by General Tweed, and 
finally became the undisputed King of the 
Lobby. Apart from his discreditable calling, 
Barbour was a man entertaining and inter- 
esting ; he was the best posted of all others 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



on the political history of parties as well as 
the inner character of politicians, and he had 
the rare faculty of an easy and pleasant re- 
cital. Above all else, in private life he was 
respected and esteemed by his neighbors as 
upright, lionest and correct in his family and 
social relations and business dealings. He 
was an enthusiastic angler, but never wooed 
the finny people except his worthy wife and 
favorite grandson enhanced his enjoyment by 
their presence and participation. 

I have met, with great pleasure and intel- 
lectual profit, Judges of every grade, who, 
hailing their vacation with the hilarity and 
abandon of the scjiool boy, have hastened to 
doff the ermine, and donning the well-worn 
habiliments of secular days, concealing the 
dignified brow beneath the broad-brimmed 
palm-leaf, have sought the balmy air and cool 
waters of the Great River to recuperate their 
jaded minds and weary bodies. First, in 
strict compliance with legal rule, and in due 
order of judicial precedents, we welcome, 
marching forward, hand clasped in hand, those 
two inseparable disciples of Walton, Chief 
Judges Andrews and Ruger, whose names 
are written on a more enduring scroll than 
this fleeting note. I refrain from marring, 
by any attempt of mine, to laud their fame. 
We have met the pleasant countenances of 
Calvin E. Pratt and his able and eccentric 
namesake, Daniel. They each worthily rep- 
resent the lionor, dignity and learning of the 
Supreme Court, but they are boys again as 
they dart in and out, around and about, the 
rock-bound and grass-covered islands of the 
Great River. 

I must not forget that there resides in the 
Summer days, in his tasteful cottage erected 
on consecrated ground — he would select no 
other — my fellow townsman and friend, 
George N. Kennedy. He needs no eulogy 
at my hands, for he is proving for himself, by 
his untiring industry and acknowledged pre- 
eminence at the bar, the folly of that legisla- 
tive dictum, "that a man's ability and power 
for intellectual work and honorable toil ceases 
at the age of seventy years." 

I recall two other gentlemen of this grade 



of judges — one still in harness — both in de- 
served public esteem, whose pleasant smile 
and friendly grip have been seen and felt on 
the waters of the St. Lawrence, Charles 
Mason and Pardon C. Williams. It was 
here that Peter B. McLennan acquired 
that calm mind and sound judgment marking 
his course on the bench to-day. 

As County Judge and a colleague in the 
Constitutional Convention of '67-S, Member 
of Congress, Secretary of State and State 
Senator, the mere recital of his official honors 
stamp Homer A. Nelson, of Dutchess, as an 
able and trusted public man, and I can testify 
that he was a keen and successful angler, and, 
by natural sequence, a polished gentleman. 
Jerome Fuller, of Monroe, was another 
fellow member in the Convention of '67-8, 
and the recital of his official positions, all 
filled ably and well, are sufficient testimony 
of his acknowledged worth and character. 
He has filled the additional positions of County 
Judge of Monroe, Territorial Judge of Min- 
nesota, Member of Assembly and State Sena- 
tor, as well as that of successful angler on the 
bonny St. Lawrence. The legal learning, 
sound judgment and righteous administration 
of justice which marked tlie judicial lives of 
Judges Van Vorst, of New York, and Smith, 
of Cortland, were never lessened by their 
keen appreciation and enjoyment of the un- 
equaled attraction of our summer paradise. 

Last, but not least, comes the beaming face 
of that true hearted and broad minded son of 
Madison, once its honored J".dge, Chas. L. 
Kennedy. 

I had firmly resolved early in my life on 
the river that whenever the opportunity of- 
fered to suit my taste and not wholly empty 
my pocket, I would 

" Be monarch of all I surveyed, 

With none my right to dispute ; 
From the center all around to the sea, 
The lord of the fowl and the brute " — 

in the shape of an island in the St. Lawrence. 
My eye always rested lovingly and hopefully 
on an island in the broad channel immediately 
opposite to and about one-half mile dis- 
tant from the docks of Clayton. In the 



THE MEN I HAVE MET UPON THE GREAT RIVER. 



79 



"native directory" it had been christened 
"Shot Bag" to keep company with a near-by 
island and islet called respectively " Powder 
Horn " and " Cap Box," each so designated 
from its fancied resemblance to one of these 
necessary appendages to the shot gun. I early 
became acquainted with the owner, a gentle- 
man by the name of Lawrence, a successful 
hat, cap and fur dealer in the city of New York. 
By the way, it might as well be noted right 
here, that he was an accomplished fly-caster, 
his daily catch of beauties being seldom sec- 
ond in number in the friendly struggle of the 
jovial anglers for preeminence. A pleasant, 
genial companion, he is gone never to return, 
but he is not forgotten. To return to my 
island. For a number of years I was advised 
that it was not for sale, and other spots were 
urged upon my attention, but I still hoped for 
my first choice, and finally declining health 
induced my friend to make me a proposition 
to part with it at the price of $400. At 
length, confirmed in his own belief by the 
judgment of others whom he considered ex- 
perts, that the island would measure at least 
four acres, he closed the deal with myself and 
son-in-law, James A. Cheney, at f roo per 
acre ; and when the survey demonstrated that 
^170 paid for i 70-100 of an acre (the area 
of the island), with great disappointment, 
somewhat forcibly expressed, but with unhesi- 
tating adherence to his pledged word, the 
owner executed the deed of transfer. In 
family convention — from which I was care- 
fully excluded — the name of "Shot Bag" 
was dropped, and the newly-acquired summer 
home was rechristened " Governor's Island." 
It was never under any '' government,'' but 
the denizens, adults and children alike, took 
in health, happiness and all edibles within 
reach. There the cannon roared, the flags 
waved, the beacons shone, not with hostile 
intent, but as a cordial welcome to the com- 
ing, and a kindly farewell to the departing 
friend. These pleasant days covered seven- 
teen joyous summers. That island is one of 
the brightest gems that adorn the water-encir- 
cled diadem of the Great River. It has now 
fallen under the dominion of one who, with 



rare taste and skill combined with a judicious 
expenditure of wealth, is constantly adding 
new attractions to the wonderful beauties of 
America's peerless summer resort. A hearty 
welcome to Charles G. Emekv. Others 
have met him on the Great River, and we all 
trust that many happy summers still await 
him on its restful bosom. 

We have not deserted the river of our love 
and ou'- pride ; but, a little nearer its source, 
on a projecting point on old Grindstone — its 
primary rocks still showing the deep scars of 
the Glacial Period — " Lindenwold " displays 
its unmatched beauties, and the old starry flag 
of "Governor's Island," undimmed, waves 
over it, and the doors of the same modest but 
roomy cottage, stand wide open to all friends. 
Excuse this apparently wide departure 
from the original text. It was partly necessi- 
tated as a means by which to bring into de- 
served notice my friends Lawrence and 
Emery, and partly to authorize the use of 
my well-filled cottage registry, containing the 
names of "men I had met upon the Great 
River," thus rejuvenating a failing memory 
and rescuing from oblivion tlie river history 
of many who should not be forgotten. 

The Rev. Dr. Reese, of Albany, was first 
met on the river, on the inside of St. John's 
Island, fighting manfully for and rejoicing over 
the capture of his first muskalonge, a beauty 
of over thirty pounds in weight; the occasion 
made us fellows, and began (for me) a pleasant 
acquaintance, renewed almost yearly for many 
summers past. This eloquent divine is ever 
welcome to Clayton, for he never fails to in- 
terest crowded audiences from the local pulpit 
on the appointed rest-days from secular labor. 
The Doctor is, like all good anglers, whole- 
souled, genial and an exceedingly interesting 
raconteur. 

The Rev. Dr. Calthrop, hailing from the 
Central City, fulfilling strictly and conscien- 
tiously his clerical duties, figures also as astrono- 
mer, expert, and peerless billiardist and chess- 
player, and excels in each. While at home 
he (rather too often) reads from the Sun, dire 
storm, destructive blizzard, drenching rain or 
parching drouth, his presence in the valley of 



8o 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



the St. Lawrence always insures us beautiful 
sun-shine, placid waters, and abounding game 
for the angler. 

Once upon a time there came into the leg- 
islative halls from the home of Conkling, a 
worth)', honest man, who answered equally 
and readily to eitlier of the familiar names of 
" Uncle David " or "Apple Barrel " Gray. 
His heart was set upon the passage of his only 
bill; it was a bill "To regulate the size of 
Apple Barrels." Passing through the ordeal 
of the appropriate committee, it came before 
the full body of the Assembly for discussion 
and amendment. The naughty boys of that 
body offered and adopted so many incompre- 
hensible and inconsistent amendments, that 
soon the honest old man did not know " where 
he was at." He appealed to me- — to whom 
he had somehow been attracted — to solve the 
difficulty; I undertook the task, and soon the 
chairman announced, that " what was left of 
the bill was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third and final reading ; " with bulging eyes 
and bated breath. Uncle David asked "what 
was left .' " He was blandly informed, that 
the title was intact, but that tlie staves, hoops 
and heads of the barrel were missing. He 
was at first somewhat inclined to blame me for 
the catastrophy, but he was persuaded to visit 
me in my summer home, where the Lelliean 
effect of the " pellucid " waters, and the electric 
shock transmitted to his body by the strike of 
the bass through the line attached to his sub- 
merged hook, cured him of all suspicion, and 
he became, and still is, one of my warmest 
friends; but I have occasionally heard him, 
when overcome with sleep, after a heavy lunch 
on a grass-covered island, mutter " My next 
Apple Barrel Bill shall have the hoops nailed 
on, and the heads nailed in, and I will attend 
to it myself." 

On the river for many years the most 
marked man to be met was a Mr. Selleck, 
from Ne wburgh. He was evidently a well edu- 
cated person, and as a conversationalist, enter- 
taining and instructive. Though totally blind 
he went everywhere without a guide, witli a 
firm and assured step. He would walk from 
the hotel to the landing, and enter his boat 



without aid, and he seldom returned at night- 
fall with a smaller catch of tlie finny tribe 
than a full average of the return captures of 
the day. Report said that in his business as 
designer and manufacturer of artistic and 
decorated furniture, he had but few equals and 
no superiors. 

I must not omit the military arm of the 
Nation. My register records their presence 
singly and in squads, veteran corps, and regi- 
ments, Kentucky colonels and " high privates," 
with waving banners and martial music. They 
were peacefully inclined, hqwever; the bivouac 
and battle-field were memories. They march 
erect and step proudly to the beat of the drum, 
save when tempting forage was uncovered; 
then " double quick " and rapid rush broke 
down all lines, and discipline was ignored. 
From the many (few can be named "Facile 
Princeps "), stands forth the gallant Slocum. 
Not on the battle field, but when white-robed 
peace smiled on the beloved country he fought 
to save, he laid him down to die. History 
will keep ever green the sacred memory of 
this patriot soldier. 

Make way for the heroic Sniper, leading to 
the peaceful banks and enticing islands of the 
Great River the few remaining veterans of 
that noble regiment, which — when three of its 
gallant number liad fallen with the flag they 
died to save, raising that starry emblem from 
the dying hands of its last defender, bearing 
it proudly forward — he rallied to victory; the 
sods of the valley now press upon his breath- 
less form, but in the memory of the multitude 
who but knew him to love him, the patriotic 
deeds of General Gustavus Sniper will en- 
dure forever. 

The name of General Davies stands high 
on the roll of fame among the noted cavalry 
leaders in the late Civil War, his clarion voice 
and flashing sabre gave victory to his gallant 
troopers in many a well fought fray; he is the 
same general on the waters of the Great river; 
cool, determined, untiring, he strikes for the 
royal muskalonge, and the trophies that adorn 
his wigwam are large in size and great in 
number. 

The erect and noble form of the "Hero of 



THE MEN I HAVE MET UPON THE GREAT R[VER. 



83 



Fort Fisher " looms above the waves of his 
native river; General in war, he is now guar- 
dian in peaceful days, of that ark of safety, 
the Constitution of our fathers, he so bravely 
helped to rescue from destruction, and stands 
as St. Lawrence's sentinel on the ramparts of 
the Nation's capitol. Though an eye was 
cheerfully lost amid the scenes of battle, he 
still, with one, single to his duty, fights bravely 
to protect and perpetuate for his country the 
rights so nobly defended on many a bloody 
field. All honor and praise to General New- 
ton Martin Curtis. 

There is a ''VVylie" man, wliose counte- 
nance is a familar one on the long reaches and 
deep bays. Do not be deceived by surmising 
that the " D. D." which the name carries with 
it stands for " Doctor of Divinity." He is too 
wily and a little too wicked for that ; but he 
was a good soldier and loyal man when the 
nation needed good soldiers and loyal men to 
compel and perpetuate an unbroken Union, 
and he is well entitled to be called " General." 
The only bad mark on his character ever dis- 
covered was his attempt to carry off, on a 
wager, a basket of champagne, as the reward 
of the superiority of his catch (with his own 
unaided rod and reel), in the number of law- 
fully sized bass by one day's fishing, over that 
of an antagonist (bound by the same require- 
ments). He apparently won the match by a 
very narrow margin, and announced the vic- 
tory to his shouting comrades with wilder 
shouts than theirs. But a few hours of sober 
reflection brought swift repentance, and on 
bended knee he humbly confessed that a 
brother conspirator from one boat and a venal 
guide from another, with no regard for law- 
ful weight, had tumbled into his craft the 
larger number of his reputed victims, and he 
tearfully, but manfully, rolled into the cottage- 
door of his competitor, the coveted prize. 
He has been forgiven, and hopes are strong 
that by continued repentance of past deeds of 
wickedness and firm resolve of an honest fu- 
ture he may yet be allowed to write " D. D." 
as well in rear as in front of his patronymic, 
and thus wipe out forever any sinister mean- 
ing to the honored name of " Wylie." 



Seventeen years have passed away since 
William H. VandilRmilt and the lamented 
Webster Wagner came here to spy out the 
land. Both have passed to the " beyond." 
but their keen business eyes — we have reason 
to know — took in all the beauties and possi- 
bilities of the grand pamorama spread before 
their vision, and the fruits of that visit are 
clearly noticeable in the increased comfort 
and ease of access hither from all parts of the 
Union, and under the wise and able manage- 
ment of their successors this will not be 
abated, but improved and amplified. 

Not clothed in trappings of war but in the 
habiliments of peace, we look on the face and 
admire the soldierly bearing of one of the 
elite of that crack regiment. New York's only 
7th, Chris Wolf, an island-dweller and ever 
a welcome comrade. The quiet, unobtrusive 
HicRs, with pleasant wife and daughter, not 
only guards, but makes, with cow and 
chicken, homelike and enviable, the upper 
gate of our archipelago. 

Scarcely fifty years ago 1,500 of the Thou- 
sand Islands of this great river lay upon its 
glassy waters in the garb of Nature's clothing, 
save where, on the larger ones, blackened 
stumps marked the incipient effort of the 
husbandman or the ruthless swath of the 
wood-devouring steamer, then first invading 
the peaceful waters. To-day, in quiet bower 
and shady nook, on bold promontory or wide- 
spread lawn, in single sites and in varying 
groups, from lower Grenadier to upper Wolf, 
reaching as an outlying sentinel beyond the 
line where lake and river join, tiny cottage 
and palatial mansion mark an almost continu- 
ous city of grandeur and beauty — the im- 
posing Crossmon at one extremity, and the 
towering Frontenac midway to the deep On- 
tario, inclose many other gorgeous resting 
places as homes for the flitting sojourner. As 
the swift-darting inhabitants below the water's 
surface, so on its bosom in almost equal num- 
bers shoot hither and thither the ever-restless 
steamers — many at stated intervals on regular 
duty bound, many with banners flying and 
gladsome music, laden with the people from 
deserted town and village, breathing the 



84 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



balmy air and drinking in the gorgeous beau- 
ties of the Great River, as with twinkling feet 
and glad shout they greet its glories. The 
trim-built, lavishly-furnished, flag-enveloped, 
swift-running yachts, alive with their crews of 
summer residents, add to the wild carnival of 
pleasure and happiness, and human shout, 
shrill whistle, sharp-clanging bell and barbaric 
music drive the rightful owners of the waters, 
frightened and alarmed, to the lowest depths 
and darkest caves of their watery kingdom. 

Now many of these many men (and lovely 
women, too, God bless them!) "1 have met 
upon the Great River." Time and space alike 
forbid a mere recital of their names; I must, 
therefore, be content with a brief notice of a 
few others who have been foremost, and who 
have not yet ceased their loving labors in 
adding to Nature's wonderful work on this 
unequaled river. 

The widely-known and sincerely lamented 
scholar and scribe, the late Dr. Holland, is 
with us no longer; but his warm love for his 
" Bonny Castle " has descended to his surviv- 
ing family, who still enjoy, and each returning 
season make more beautiful, the delightful 
spot he loved so well. 

The Haydens, Pullman, the large-hearted 
Browning, the coal king of the Lehigh valley, 
the denizens of Westminster Park, and many 
others, still intent upon gilding the refined 
gold of their incomparable Bay, all bear faces 
I have met upon the beautiful River. I have 
met many of the men who summer in assured 
safety and peaceful comfort under the Chris- 
tian banner of the itinerant Methodists; among 
them my home neighbors, none of whom need 
go from their Central City to find witnesses 
to their worthy and Christian character. 
(Judge Kennedy I have already named) 
Weeks, Holden, Penn, Lee, Sprague, and 
scores of others, are men I am proud to say 
" I have met upon the Great River." 

I even own up that I knew Sam Grinnell, 
when he pastured his cow on his island, now 
studded with many beautiful cottages, and 
joyously welcomed the thirsty dwellers on 
Prohibition- r,ooo-Island- Park to his choice 
dispensary of contraband whisky. 



Round Island is peopled with many worthy 
of notable mention. Across its head, facing 
the on-coming waters, stand four dwellings : 
First, the modest villa of Dr. Wheden, the 
pioneer of the island-dwellers, followed by 
Messrs. Hayes, Van Wagonen, and James J. 
Belden, ex-mayor and congressman, who, 
applying well-earned wealth with sound judg- 
ment and artistic taste to their work of pleas- 
ure, have erected houses of comfort and de- 
light, the very embodiment of the poet and 
the painter's dream of loveliness. Another 
chief of the Central City, Wm. B. Kirk, has 
applied a portion of his wealth to the adorn- 
ment of this beautiful island, and these have 
found willing comrades to aid in making this 
cosy hamlet a beauty spot on the Great River. 

As I pen these lines so many faces crowd 
upon my reviving memory, that my task must 
be abruptly closed or it will become endless. 
A few more of the multitude of those who de- 
serve recognition and I have done. 

No one who frequents the river can fail to 
know that always hilarious crowd, hailing from 
Albany, headed by Jim Story, John H. 
QuiNBY, and Charlie Gay. At home, staid, 
steady, model business men. On the river — 
never offensive — but full to the brim, of fun 
and frolic, good anglers and genial companions. 

There comes periodically to the river a quiet, 
unobtrusive but wortliy and interesting gentle- 
man. It is said that " Good wine needs no 
Bush," but a troll on the water and a lunch 
on the shore are made more enjoyable and 
satisfying whenever Mr. "Bush," of Buffalo 
counts as one of the party. 

We entreat Lucius Moses to bring back to 
the river himself with his delightful family; 
we yearn to hear once more the swish of his 
wonderful cast, as the fly tempts the bass to 
strike " twenty yards away." 

In writing the name of Mr. Browning, of 
New York, there came back to me the re- 
membrance of his brother-in-law, Mr. Scott, 
who is an annual visitor, seldom failing a 
yearly return. Although a city man, he is 
old fashioned in dress and manners, though 
never other than a gentleman. Though easily 
approachable, he is naturally taciturn; an un- 



THE MEN I HAJ'E MET UPON THE GREAT A'/ VET. 



85 



tiring angler, wind and wave never staying 
liim. One day near the liead of Hemlock, lie 
was at anchor still-fishing for bass; a good 
sized perch was hooked, and he rapidly drew 
him up, and was rendered almost helpless by 
the onrush of a thirty-pound muskalonge, 
striking for his dangling ])erch. The big 
fellow landed with the perch, in the boat, and 
with the aid of the guide was killed. After a 
few moments delay, S., recovered sufficiently 
to ejaculate "Great Scott," the only words 
(the guide avers) that he uttered until he 
reached the dock at Clayton, three mites away. 

Clustered on and around the hoary head of 
old Grindstone, the Morgans and the Lov- 
ELLS, of New York, have brought refinement 
and artistic skill to adorn their summer homes, 
and in themselves have added acknowledged 
worth to the goodly society of our Summer City. 

It would be very wrong and unjust if the 
men and women who dwell in inclement win- 
ter as well as in gentle summer on the banks 
of this world-famed stream were not recorded 
among the throng of those " I have met upon 
the Great River." In all ranks and condi- 
tions among them, they are the hosts and 
helpers of their welcome summer visitors; 
kind, considerate, helpful, never exacting or 
mercenary, they are always ready and oblig- 



ing. Their character and conduct are in 

marked contrast with the reported greed, 

venality and robbery at other noted places of 

summer resort. I am glad to proclaim that I 

have met and have learned to respect and 

honor these constant dwellers in the valley of 

tlie Great River. 

If life and health are spared, I trust to meet 

many old and to greet many new faces in the 

coming years, enjoying renovated health and 

needed relaxation from the ills and cares of 

busy life amid the scenes of grandeur and 

beauty nowhere so sure to be found as " Upon 

the Great River." 

Thomas G. Alvord. 

Syracuse, March, 1895. 



We think no man or woman can rise up 
after reading Governor Alvord's unique and 
entirely unapproachable remarks upon the 
people he has met, without a better feeling 
towards all mankind, and a most grateful 
sense of appreciation of this honored man, 
whose green old age has met with no blight, 
and whose frosted head bears no possible in- 
dication of any frost of heart. With thousands 
who love him and revere his matchless ability, 
we reecho his own wish that he may yet be 
spared for many years to visit the Great River. 



A BONAPARTE IN NORTHERN NEW YORK. 



[The following excellent nrticle is from the pen of Major J. H. Durham, of Cape Vincent, N. Y. Its 
insertion in this volume is considered proper and instructive because most of the people named were long 
ago residents of Cape Vincent, ,1 town of many memories, which stands nt the very head of those islands 
we are attempting to describe and to give their histories, as well as to make brief mention of those superior 
men who first settled on and near them, and were certainly the first to sound their praise and introduce 
them to the attention and knowledge of the American people.] 



/J^THE advent of Joseph Bonaparte, or Count 
T^ de Siirvilliers (as he desired to be known), 
into Northern New York and upon the St. 
Lawrence, is scarcely explainable without some 
reference by way of introduction to Count 
James Donatien LeRayde Chaumont, who was 
the son of Count Donatien Le Ray, the intimate 
friend of Franklin and Adams, and Morris, 
and a devoted adherent to the fortunes of the 
United States, who in a time of the utmost 
need imperiled his great fortune by coming to 
our assistance. He it was who sent a ship- 
load of powder to Boston; who furnished 
clothing for La Fayette's army, and fitted out 
three vessels of war to join the fleet under 
Commodore Jean Paul Jones. 

Previous to the elevation of Joseph Piona- 
parte to the thrones, first of Naples and then 
of Spain, he and young Le Ray were students 
at the celebrated school of Juilly, near Paris; 
here their acquaintance ripened into an inti- 
macy which, although interrupted by succeed- 
ing events, did not wholly cease, and so we 
find it renewed at a time when the friendship 
of a Le Ray was not to be despised, even by 
a Bonaparte, though twice a king. The yoimg 
Le Ray, intimate at his father's house with 
such men as Franklin, Adams and Morris, had 
early learned lessons of Republican wisdom, 
and understood how to sympathize with the 
infant States in their struggle for freedom. 
His intercourse with these gifted statesmen 



did much to perfect a character naturally 
superior, and of which an intimate acquaint- 
ance wrote in after years as follows: " He had 
a strong mind, great penetration, sound judg- 
ment, a warm and affectionate heart, and a 
noble soul. He was guided through life by a 
liigh and chivalrous integrity." It was related 
that on one occasion a difference arose between 
the elder Le Ray and Robert Morris, then at 
the court of France. An umpire was to be 
chosen, and Robert Morris at once selected 
Mr. Le Ray's own son; the case was stated, 
and a decision in favor of Mr. Morris was the 
result. 'I'he citizens of Jefferson and Lewis 
counties, N. Y., owe much of their prosperity 
to his enlightened and liberal management; 
and by the citizens of Jefferson county especi- 
ally he is affectionately remembered for his 
public-spirited improvements, his dignified 
and courteous demeanor, and the sympathy 
he never failed to e,\press, not only in words, 
but i^ractically, for whatever concerned the 
public welfare. He fully sympathized with 
all that his father did to aid the colonies in 
their struggle with Great Britain, and upon 
him it finally devolved to effect a settlement 
with them. It was a task of great difliculty. 
The depreciation of paper money, and the 
differing currencies of the States, were ob- 
stacles almost insurmountable. Tearing him- 
self from the seductions of the most elegant 
court in Europe, and from the near prospect 



A BONAPARTE IN NORTHERN NEW YORK. 



89 



of a brilliant marriage, he sailed for the United 
States, to distinguished citizens of which 
Franklin had given him letters; and yet, not- 
withstanding his talents and energy, strength- 
ened by all the influence of Franklin, and 
Morris, and Adams, it was not until 1780 that 
a settlement was effected ; just in time to save 
his father from a humiliating bankruptcy. 

While in the United States he became ac- 
quainted with two men who largely influenced 
his subsequent career, — Gouverneur Morris 
and Count de La Foret, Consul-General of 
France, — ■ who induced him to make heavy 
purchases of land In company with the 
latter, he purchased a large tract in Otsego 
county, and established as his agent there 
Judge Cooper, father of the great novelist. 
With the former he made extensive pur- 
chases in Northern New York, and by reason 
of these purchases it was that Joseph Bona- 
parte came upon the scene. In 1790, young 
Le Ray became a naturalized citizen of the 
United States, and married the daughter of 
Cliarles Coxe, Esq , of New Jersey, returning 
to France the same year. Between that and 
18 ro, he had several times visited the United 
States ; returning to France in that year, he 
settled upon his estates in Touraine. and busied 
himself in settling his affairs in Northern New 
York. The last meeting for more than a 
decade between young Le Ray and Joseph 
Bonaparte, was on the occasion of the signing 
of the treaty between France and the United 
States at Morte Fontaine, September 30, 1800, 
at which time they dined together. Fifteen 
years later came the downfall of Napoleon, 
and with him that of his family. Hearing 
that Joseph was at Blois, M' Le Ray hastened 
to offer his friendship. He was warmly wel- 
comed, and the intimacy of former years was 
renewed. 

One day while at dinner, a train of wagons 
passed the window near which they were 
sitting. Joseph, turning to M' Le Ray, said: 
" Mon ami, I remember that you have spoken 
to me of your large possessions in the United 
States. Do you still hold them ? If so, I 
should like to exchange for a part of them 
some of the silver that I have in those wagons, 



which maybe pillaged at any moment. Take 
four ur five hundred thousand francs, and give 
me the equivalent in land." This M' Le Rny 
declined, saying: " It is impossible to make a 
bargain where I alone know the facts. " Oh," 
said Joseph, " I know you well, and I rely 
more upon your word than upon my own 
judgment." 

A bargain was soon entered into, the terms 
of which were, that for 200,000 francs the 
elder Le Ray would give Josejih Bonaparte a 
letter to his son Vincent, then in the United 
States, instructing him to show to the ex-king 
a certain tract ; when, if approved of by him 
after seeing it, the sale would be confirmed. 
If not api^roved, the money was to be returned. 
The bargain was consummated with a slight 
change in the terms of payment. 

Some writers have asserted that Joseph 
Bonaparte's farewell to France was an esca- 
pade ; but whether true or not, he reached 
the United States in 1815, and Northern New 
York in 1818. Of his career in New Jersey 
and elsewhere, this account has nothing to do, 
as it proposes to deal with his affairs in 
Northern New York and not elsewhere, unless 
it may be incidentally. On arriving in the 
United States he assumed the title of Count 
de Survilliers, by which name and title only 
he desired to be known. His purchase in- 
cluded the greater part of the town of Diana, 
in Lewis county, together with portions of 
several towns in Jefferson county, lying jirin- 
cipally in the valley of the Black River and on 
the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Law- 
rence river; the whole amounting to 150,000 
acres, which was paid for in diamonds and 
silver. Subsequently, owing to the fact that 
diamonds had fallen to half their former value 
in market, other arrangements were entered 
into, and in 1820 the count accepted a tract 
of 26,840 acres, for which he paid $40,260. 

He now memorialized the Legislature of 
New York to grant him the privilege of hold- 
ing titles in his own name. In his memorial, 
he says: " Not being of the number of those 
who would wish to abandon this land of hospi- 
tality, where the best rights of man prevail, I 
am nevertheless bound to my own country by 



90 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



ties which misfortunes render sacred." The 
privilege solicited was granted by a special act, 
bearing date March 31, 1825. Having ac- 
quired his titles, the ex-king began to explore 
his possessions; and it is told of hira that when- 
ever it was possible, he traveled in great state. 
Under any circumstances, his private secre- 
tary, M. Carot, his cook, butler, valet and 
page constituted his suite; these, with the ser- 
vants of his guests, of whom he usually enter- 
tained several, made up a train, which, in the 
eyes of the simple backwoodsmen of those days, 
formed a pageant long to be remembered. 
Those were the times when the old country 
tavern was in the ascendant ; and how to 
dispose of such a retinue, became at times a 
problem too intricate for the rural host to 
solve. 

On one occasion, when on his way to spend 
the winter in New York and Philadelphia, his 
train was unusually large, having for his guests. 
Count Pierre Francois Real, who was Chef de 
Police under the Emperor, and who then lived 
at Cape Vincent, Jefferson county; Emmanuel 
Count de Grouchy and General Desfurneaux, 
who, with their attendants, were also going to 
the metropolis, together with several distin- 
guished gentlemen from Albany, who had been 
guests of Count Survilliers at Bonaparte lake. 
They halted in the evening at a well-known hos- 
telry in the Moliawk valley, kept by a sturdy old 
Dutchman. As was by no means uncommon 
among those wlio were in company with Count 
Survilliers, a night of revelry followed; a kingly 
revel, wliere the guests were served on silver 
by Parisian waiters. The choicest vintages 
were served in Venetian-cut glass, and the 
costliest teas and coffees in Sevres china. 
First, drinking to the idol of their hearts, him 
who was even then breaking his heart against 
the bars of St. Helena, and whom they seldom 
for a moment forgot, they gave way to amuse- 
ment and hilarity. Song and story followed 
in rapid succession, witticisms sparkled like 
the bead upon their champagne, while the 
worthy host, called here and there, often two 
ways at the same moment, was half crazed, 
and wholly bewildered. In the morning 
M. Carot, the Count's private secretary, called 



upon the landlord to present his bill. This 
was a poser; never before in that house, had a 
bill of items been asked for, but the crisis had 
come, and it must be met; and so the worthy 
Boniface, groaning over the unwonted mental 
exertion required, set slowly about his task. 
Aided by the ''good frouw," whose qualifica- 
tions as an accountant, were, if possible, fewer 
than his own, he finally, with much mental 
travail, produced a bill which seemed to meet 
the requirements; and with some trepidation 
in his manner, he presented it to M. Carot. 
It was a. bill for i|2oo. The astute secretary 
detected the exorbitant charges at a glance, 
and looked with dismay upon the final footing, 
the manifest result of an attempt to divide a / 
large sum total among a few items only; the / 
house as a matter of fact, having contributed 
but very little toward the entertainment. 

Noticing the look upon his secretary's face, 
Count Survilliers demanded to see the bill. 
It was handed to him, and thence ran the 
guantlet of the merry company, who, shouting 
with laughter at Mynheer's unique specimen 
of bookkeeping, nevertheless protested against 
his outrageous charges ; which, allowing him 
the highest possible prices for labor and sup- 
plies, would scarcely amount to %o. The 
bill was returned to the landlord, and the ex- 
orbitant charges pointed out; in process of 
time an amended bill was brought in, wliich 
contained a very fairly itemized account 
amounting to %So, after which followed thel 
crowning entry ; " To making in mine house ; 

one d d fuss, $150,"' — thus triumphantly 

sustaining the original grand total. Saying i 
"cheap enough, too," the ex-king ordered 
M. Carot, to settle the bill. For many years 
thereafter that same bill was in the possession 
of one of Albany's most distinguished citizens, 
who frequently exhibited it to his friends as a 
"model Mohawk-valley tavern bill." 

Count Survilliers made a number of im- 
provements in various parts of his domain, and 
expended money with a princely liberality, 
thereby benefiting many a poor man, who in 
those days would otherwise have handled 
money but rarely. At Natural Bridge, he 
erected a large framed house, with all the con- 



A BONAPARTE IN NORTHERN NEl-V YORK. 



91 



venient accessories of a gentleman's summer 
residence and furnished it eL-gantly at a great 
expense. Here, for several seasons, the ex- 
king kept open house, and was visited at times 
by some of those whom, in hii days of regal 
pomp and power, lie had entertained at court 
in Naples and in Madrid. Among the more 
constant of his guests, however, were Count 
Real ; the Peugnet brothers, Louis, Hyacinthe 
and Theophilus; Louis, having been a captain 
in the Emperor's body guard, an officer of the 
corps d'elite; still wore the cross of the Legion 
d'Honneur, placed upon his breast by the Em- 
peror's own hand; General Rolland, Count 
Real's son-in-law Col. Jermoux, Camilla 
Armand, and others, all living at Cape Vincent, 
wliere M. Le Ray had founded a prosperous 
village and erected a stately mansion, now the 
property of Mrs. Beaufort, and her sister, Miss 
Eraeline Peugnet, daughters of Captain Louis 
Peugnet ; estimable, refined ladies are they, 
well known far beyond the bounds of their 
village-home. 

There are many circumstances which ren- 
der it probable that these re-unions, in which 
M' Le Ray was by no means the least honored 
guest, and which he often reciprocated by 
gathering the entire company under his own 
roof, either in his stately chateau at Le Rays- 
ville, or in his house at Cape Vincent, were 
for the purpose of discussing matters of much 
greater importance than disquisitions on mat- 
ters piscatorial, or the art of venery; although 
hunting and fishing was the ostensible object. 
The woods abounded in game, and the streams 
and the lakes with fish. A beautiful lake of 
some 1200 acres area, abounding in the 
choicest varieties of fish, and forming a part 
of the Count's domain, was but a few miles 
from his mansion, at Natural Bridge, N. Y. 
It is a beautiful sheet of water, with bold and 
rocky shores, its surface sprinkled with island 
gems, — an archipelago in minature. On an 
eminence overlooking its shores the Count 
erected a commodious hunting lodge, and 
opened a road from the old State Turnpike 
to the lake, on which boats were launched and 
every possible convenience provided for both 
hunting and fishing, of which sports the 



Count was extremly fond; and yet, to use the 
phraseology of a man who worked on the 
building mentioned, and who is yet living at 
Natural Bridge: "They didn't seem to hunt 
and fish much a'ter all." This charming lake 
(Bonaparte, now named) is now the property 
of Hon. Joseph Pahud, a superior and most 
interesting gentleman, and he has erected a 
neat hotel there, a very paradise for anyone 
desiring rest, combined with fish and game. 

That a scheme was formed to rescue the 
Emperor from the custody of Sir Hudson 
Lowe, and spirit him away to the United 
States, there can now be no doubt. The 
French residents of Cape Vincent, after the 
news of Napoleon's death was received, did 
not hesitate to avow that such had been 
their purpose. A well-known American naval 
commander, whose reputation for courage, 
skill and daring, even to recklessness at times, 
could not be questioned, was to have aided 
the scheme; and with his help, they hoped to 
succeed. It is also highly probable that, in 
some way, the exiles on St. Helena were made 
aware of the efforts on foot to secure their 
liberation. A letter written by Count Ber- 
trand to Joseph Bonaparte on the death of 
the Emperor, after announcing the sad event, 
says of him: " The hope of leaving this dread- 
ful country often presented itself to his imagi- 
nation. Some newspaper articles added to, 
and excited our expectations. We sometimes 
fancied that we were on the eve of starting 
for America; we read travels ; we made plans; 
we arrived at your house ; we wandered over 
that great country, where alone we might 
hope to enjoy liberty. Vain hopes ! Vain 
projects! which only made us doubly feel our 
misfortunes." 

That Count Real erected a house at Cape 
Vincent for the reception of his adored Chief, 
is so well known in that locality that it "goes 
without saying; " and also that during its erec- 
tion, Count Survilliers was oftener a visitor at 
Cape Vincent than at any other time. Then, 
too, his constant communication with this band 
of enthusiastic imperialists, and especially with 
Professor Pigeon, who was Private Secretary 
to Count Real, and who, no doubt, wrote every 



92 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



letter and every comiriLinication of whatever 
nature relating to their secret plans. 

It was Prof. Pigeon who took a vow never 
to cover his head while Napoleon was a pris- 
oner ; and notwithstanding the severity of the 
winters in Northern New York, he steadfastly 
adhered to his resolution until the death of 
the Emperor released him from his vow. 

During Joseph Bonaparte's last visit to 
Bonaparte Lake, a tragedy occurred that, for 
some time, threw a gloom over his daily life, 
which seemed impossible for him to shake off. 
Not far from Bonaparte Lake is Green Lake, 
a body of water not half the size of Bonaparte 
Lake, and as dismal, gloomy and repulsive as 
the other is delightful. Its shores are bold 
and rocky; and owing to a mass of fallen tim- 
ber, which forms an almost impenetrable 
cheveaux de frieze around it, it is very difficult 
of acce.ss. Not far from the water's edge, at 
a point where the rocky wall almost reaches 
it, is a cave so dark and dismal that it became 
known as the "Cave of the Sepulchre," a 
name which a subsequent occurrence served 
to establish more completely, if possible, than 
it was before. 

Among the attendants of the count, was a 
young Frenchman named Jean Vallois, who 
paid marked attention to the daughter of a 
French settler living in the vicinity. She was 
a beautiful girl, and it was not long before 
they were almost inseparable. It was espe- 
cially their delight to take a boat and row- 
away together among the islands, or climb the 
rocks to find some new view on which to 
feast their eyes. Count Survilliers was him- 
self too fond of the fair se.\ to put any re- 
straint on the loves of his followers, and so 
the liaison went on uninterrupted until it be- 
came apparent to all that a climax was not far 
distant. One day the young people an- 
nounced their intention to visit Green Lake, 
which was but a short distance away. They 
were never seen again. Days lengthened into 
weeks, and weeks into months, and yet no 
trace of them was found. The woods were 
scoured far and wide in every direction, and 
the waters of Green Lake dragged in vain. 
Years sped on, and finally the old Frenchman 



and his wife died, and gradually the occur- 
rence faded from recollection. In 1S50 a 
party of hunters conceived the idea of explor- 
ing the Cave of the Sepulcher. Providing 
themselves with an abundance of material for 
lights and whatever else they deemed neces- 
sary, the exploration was made. Among the 
rubbish in the bottom of the cave some bones 
were found, which were thought to be those 
of an animal. One of the party, however, in 
looking closer, discovered a human skull, and 
further search revealed another ; then some 
little trinkets were found ; and finally a Span- 
ish gold coin, on one side of wliich was 
stamped the head of Joseph Bonaparte. 
When these facts became known, it was re- 
membered that Count Survilliers had often 
presented similar pieces to members of his 
suite, and to particular friends as souvenirs of 
some special occasion. This fact coupled 
with the medical testimony, that one of the 
skulls found belonged to a male and the other 
to a female, made the conclusion almost irre- 
sistible that these were none other than the 
remains of Jean Vallois and the French 
maiden so soon to become a mother. Whether 
it was deliberate suicide on the part of both, 
or whether they fell victims to a beast of 
prey, will never be known so far as human 
knowledge is concerned. 

It would seem that a fondness for tlie fair 
sex was the dominant weakness of Count 
Survilliers. The story of his marriage to the 
little Quakeress of Bordentown, N. J., An- 
nette Savage, has been told so often and in so 
many ways that it is now difficult to get at 
the real facts. It has been asserted that he 
contracted another marriage du covenance, 
in Philadelphia; but it is now known that the 
reputed Philadelphia wife was no other than 
the Bordentown lady; no longer Countess 
Survilliers, but Madame Delafolie. The re- 
sult of that marriage was a beautiful daughter, 
who was named Caroline Delafolie, and who 
afterward married Col. Z. Howard Benton, by 
whom she had two children, Josephine and 
Joseph Bonaparte Benton. It was the ruling 
desire of Mrs. Caroline Benton's life to be 
acknowledged by the Bonaparte family; and 



A BONAPARTE IN NORTHERN NEW YORK. 



93 



when Louis Napoleon ascended the throne 
she journeyed to Paris, hoping to acconi[)lish 
her purpose, and she is said to have succeeded. 
In Haddock's History of Jefferson county, 
p. 440, this subject is fairly handled. Through 
the kindness of Minister Washburn she was 
admitted to an audience with the Emperor, 
who received her favorably. On their return to 
the United States they gave glowing accounts 
of their reception at court, and of the appoint- 
ment of their daughter Josephine to the posi- 
tion of maid of honor to the Empress Eugenie. 
The disastrous termination of the Franco- 
Prussian war forever ended any hopes that 
centered on Louis Napoleon, however willing 
he might have been to aid his kinsfolk. 

There is a house yet standing in Evans' 
Mills which Count Survilliers erected for 
Madame Delafolie, and his summer residence 
at Natural Bridge is shown upon another page. 
He also built a stone house on the shore of 
Perch Lake, in the town of Pamelia, N. Y. 
This was also richly furnished throughout ; 
the fireplaces were fitted with marble mantels, 
and the whole house was finished to corres- 
pond. This was intended for a winter resi- 
dence, being within easy reach of his friends 
at Cape Vincent, and of the chateau of 
M. de Le Ray, at Le Raysville. This part 
of his domain was afterward sold to John 
La Farge, another French emigre, but now 
scarcely one stone stands upon another to 
mark what was once the dwelling of royalty. 
A nephew of Count Survilliers, Joachim Murat, 
was a frequent guest of his uncle, who pre- 
sented him with a tract of land lying between 
the present villages of Antwerp and Theresa. 
Here the young man began business on a 
large scale. He caused a canal to be dug, 
a dam was built on Indian river, and a mill 
erected, a storehouse and dwellings put up, a 



town laid out on a grand scale, and every 
]ireparatioa made for a city in the wilderness, 
but it failed to materialize. While the young 
Murat possessed all the natural proclivities 
which constitute the modern "boomer," he 
was half a century in advance of the times; 
settlers failed to come, the development of the 
country was slow, the locality was off the 
natural lines of communication, so that after 
the expenditure of a fortune, he was forced 
to abandon the enterprise, and now but little 
remains to indicate the spot where he fondly 
hoped to rear the flourishing city of "Joachim," 
In 1833, or it may be in the spring of 1834, 
Joseph Bonaparte returned to France, and 
Northern New York knew him no more. In 
1835 his agent. Judge Joseph Boyer, sold all 
his remaining lands in Jefferson and Lewis 
counties to John La Farge. At this time, 
political events in France apparently favored 
a reinstatement of the Bonaparte family, and 
Count Survilliers, hopeful that the next turn 
of the political wheel would bring the Bona- 
partes to the surface, was anxious to be where 
his greatest interests lay, and where his per- 
sonal efforts might be of some avail. \Vith 
the sale of his landed estates, his interests in 
a country where, to use his own expression, 
"The best rights of man prevail," entirely 
ceased. Some three or four old men are yet 
alive,* who, in the capacity of guides or 
laborers for the ex-king, can relate some anec- 
dote of him ; but of his real life while in 
Northern New York, scarce anything is pub- 
licly known 'oeyond what is embodied in 
this brief sketch. Of one who was king of 
Naples, who sat on the throne of Spain, whose 
brother was an emperor, and wore the diadem 
of the Cffisars, and whose acts have filled 
more pages of history than did those of Alex- 
ander the Great, it seems trifling indeed. 



*In Haddock's History of Jefferson county, cited above, he mentions Hon. L. Ingalls, the veteran 
editor, of Watertown, N. Y., and Mr. Blanchard, of Natural Bridge, as well remembering Joseph Bona- 
parte. Mr. Ingalls was then a boy, and recollects the ex-king as a fat, full-chested, pleasant old man, 
delighting to sit in his doorway of a summer evening and throw pennies by handsful among the boys, to see 
them scramble and fight for them. Mr. Blanchard is past ninety, but is a remarkably bright old gentleman. 
He worked for the ex king upon the Natural Bridge dwelling, and tells how Joseph would don the dress of a 
workman, when the tit took him, and work in lathing the house, preparatory to plastering. He asserts that 
the ex king was companionable and agreeable, and readily approachable, always charitable and considerate. 



THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND. 



BY MAJOR J. H. DURHAM. 



Oh, that I were a painter! who could a picture make, 
A fitting guide to be, into this Island mystery. 



I^XAPLE ISLAND, on which the tragedy 
1^^ I which I am about to relate took place, 
lies a little beyond the main steamboat channel 
on the American side, almost in front of, and 
in plain view from the balconies of the 
" Frontenac " on Round Island. It has an 
area of about six acres, and a high ridge ex- 
tends across it from east to west, or nearly so, 
which is inclined to be precipitous on the 
north and north-west. For the most part, the 
island is covered by a thick undergrowth with 
here and there a few larger trees, excepting 
on the south side of the dividing ridge, where 
the timber has been cut away, leaving a tri- 
angular shaped clearing with its apex at the 
top of the ridge. There is nothing about it to 
attract especial attention. 

Some time since, while glancing throtigh 
the columns of Clayton's newsy weekly. On 
the St. Lawrence, I lighted upon a brief arti- 
cle which at once engrossed iny attention. At 
this date I cannot give more than the sub- 
stance of the sketch, having mislaid the clip- 
ping made at the time ; but if my memory 
serves me it was headed: "The Tragedy of 
Maple Island;" at all events, if not this in 
exact terms, it conveyed the idea so forcibly 
that I read and re-read the article, vainly try- 
ing to recall something that I had read before, 
which in a vague, shadowy way seemed con- 
nected with it. The substance of the article 
in question is as follows : 

In the summer of 1865, in the early part of 
June, a stranger made his appearance at the 



hotel in the little liamlet of Fisher's Landing, 
on the east bank of the St. Lawrence river, 
below Round Island, and opposite Thousand 
Island Park, which at that time had no exist- 
ence. It was a singular fact that although he 
gave a natne, which is not now remetnbered, 
he never signed the hotel register. 

He was a broad-shouldered, dark-haired 
man, moustache and goatee, genteelly dressed, 
evidently not more than twenty-five years of 
age, probably less; of very agreeable manners, 
but very reticent, and with the characteristics 
of a Southerner. He spent his time chiefly in 
looking about the country, visiting, at tiines, 
the little village of Omar, and rowing in a 
skiff among the adjoining islands. He finally 
announced his intention of erecting a cabin on 
one of the islands, the better to enjoy his 
favorite pastime of fishing. He selected 
Maple Island as his place of residence, and 
at Clayton he purchased lumber and all the 
necessary materials for the structure, hired 
them transported to the island, engaged work- 
men to build it, bought a skiff with its outfit, 
and the ftirniture necessary for housekeeping, 
and in a short time occupied his island domi- 
cile. Hisfood supplies — bread, butter, eggs, 
milk and vegetables — were obtained from 
farmers on Grindstone Island, and his gro- 
ceries from Clayton. He made no intimate 
acquaintances, though, if a chance caller vis- 
ited him, which was but seldom, he was treated 
courteously, but never invited to repeat the 
call. He was known to have quite a store of 




•is . ( 



■ W 




'^"■'^, 





THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND. 



97 



books, and to amuse himself by playing upon 
the violin, as the strains of one were often 
heard proceeding from his cabin, which stood 
in a dense thicket against a wall of rock, and 
so hidden that it could not be seen from a 
passing skiff. The summer months sped 
away, and so quiet and undemonstrative was 
the stranger that he would ha\e been almost 
entirely forgotten but for his semi-occasional 
visits to Clayton for supplies. 

Very early in the autumn, and it may have 
been during the last days of August, several 
strangers made their appearance on the river, 
stopping for a time at x\le.\andria Bay, at 
Fisher's Landing, and at Clayton. As it was 
nothing unusual to see strangers at these 
places, no especial notice was taken of them 
further than that they all seemed to be 
Southerners. But for subsequent events, this 
would not have been remarked, as it was by 
no means an unusual thing for Southerners to 
visit the Thousand Islands, ]5rominent even 
then as a resort for those who affected the 
rod and gun. 

But an event took place which arrested the 
attention and aroused the sympathy of the 
people ; a bloody mystery, which to-day is 
almost as great a mystery as ever, and one 
which will, in all probability, never be fully 
solved, until the day when all mysteries shall 
be made clear. 

It was in September; the loveliest month on 
the St. Lawrence. As the poet Reade, 
sings: — 

" The season where the light of dreams 

Around the year in golden glor_v lies; — 

Tlie heavens are full of floating mysteries, 

And down the lake the veiled splendor beams! 

Lilie hidden poets lie the hazy streams. 

Mantled with mysteries of (heir own romance, 

While scarce a breath disturbes their drowsy trance." 

It was on such an evening that a bright 
light was seen by residents of Clayton, on 
Maple Island. It was conjectured at once 
that the Hermit's cabin had caught fire, but 
as it was impossible to reach him in time to be 
of any assistance, and apprehending no per- 
sonal danger to him, but little thought was 
given to the occurrence; further than that he 



was expected to come ashore for lodgings at a 
hotel; but as he did not come within a reason- 
able time, it was thought that he had rowed 
over to Grindstone Island, or down to Grenell's 
tavern, which stood where the Pullman 
Hotel now stands, and so nothing more was 
thought of the matter that night. 

The next morning, some fishermen went 
ashore on Maple Island, and visited the spot 
where the cabin stood. They saw at once 
that something unusual had occurred. The 
ground was tramped as with many feet. Evi- 
dences of a desperate struggle were on every 
hand. Traces of blood were found on the 
bushes, and then robbery and murder was 
suspected. A careful search was instituted, 
and finally the body of the unfortunate occu- 
pant was found near the water's edge, on the 
lower end of the island. His throat was cut 
from ear to ear, and a knife thrust had nearly 
severed the heart. There was no clothing on 
the body except a pair of drawers, and across 
the breast three crosses were cut in a triangle, 
one cross forming its apex, and two its base. 
To the discovers of the body, these had no 
especial significance. They saw nothing 
beyond plain murder and robbery. It might 
have been stated before, that the deceased 
was known to have plenty of money. He had 
always been a prompt and liberal paymaster, 
and whenever it had been necessary, owing to 
a lack of American money, he had offered 
English gold in payment for his purchases ; 
and so, that he was murdered solely for his 
money, was the prevailing idea, and no signifi- 
cance attached to the crosses ; and yet, these 
and these alone, furnished the clew which has 
nearly succeeded in tracing out the mystery. 

The coroner was summoned, and after a 
patient examination, the principal facts as 
above stated were brought out, and a verdict 
rendered accordingly. The body was decently 
buried, the occurrence created a "nine day's 
wonder," and then ])assed out of mind ; and 
but for the meager statement in the newspaper 
referred to, it would have never been revived, 
as there is to-day but one or two persons living 
who had an actual knowledge of the facts 
above stated. It must not be supposed that 



98 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER 



the newspaper article contained a tenth part 
of what is already related. It was by close 
and persistent search and careful inquiry, that 
these additional facts were gleaned, and they 
are presented here as a reason for, and an in- 
troduction to, what follows : 

It was the month of April, 1865. The nation 
was jubilant. The long and bloody conflict 
had closed, and joy reigned triumphant every- 
where. The country was ablaze with bonfires, 
and grand illuminations turned night into day. 
The evening splendors of the National Capital 
were unsurpassed, and the grand illuminations 
were made still more gorgeous by the display 
of fireworks. Bands of music serenaded the 
President, whose congratulatory speeches it 
seemed to many were tinged with a shade of 
melancholy. But a day was at hand ; a day 
of gloom, and of darkness, and of woe, un- 
paralleled in the history of the world. Were 
it not necessary, by reason of their being an 
important factor in this narrative, the sad 
events which plunged a nation into mourning 
and lamentation would not be here rehearsed. 
The inexpressible sadness which pervaded 
every countenance at the news of the assassina- 
tion of Abraham Lincoln, was an index to the 
heartfelt pain within ; and even now, though 
thirty years have rolled into the dim and misty 
past, I am unable to recall the terrible event, 
much less to transcribe, however briefly, its 
salient features, without experiencing again 
that fearful shock, which, like an electric cur- 
rent laden with woe and draped with disaster, 
ran from man to man and from camp to camp 
throughout our lines at Raleigh, where the 
corps to which the writer belonged was 
stationed. It was the same everywhere. All 
nature seemed clad in the habiliments of woe. 

On the evening of the 14th day of April, 
1S65, the play "Our American Cousin " was 
in progress at Ford's Theater, on Tenth 
street, just above E street, Washington, D. C- ; 
a large, plain brick edifice, now converted into 
a museum of war relics. In honor of the oc- 
casion and of the day's rejoicing, because 
the folds of the Nation's Flag had that day 
been once again flung to the breeze above 
the shattered ramparts of Fort Sumter, Presi- 



dent Lincoln was to occupy the " Presidential 
box," which consisted of the two upper boxes 
on the left of the stage thrown into one. The 
box on that memorable evening was occupied 
by the President and Mrs. Lincoln, Major R. 
H. Rathbone and Miss Clara H. Harris. The 
house, holding nearly three thousand people, 
was filled with the wealth and fashion of the 
city. 

At about 10 o'clock, when the second scene 
of the third act was on, a stranger worked his 
way into the proscenium box occupied by the 
Presidential party, and leveling a pistol close 
to the head of Mr. Lincoln, he fired ; then 
drawing a knife he inflicted a severe wound 
upon Major Rathbone, who had seized him, 
and breaking away he sprang down upon the 
stage, flourished his knife and shouted : "Sic 
Semper Tyrannis! " and before the real posi- 
tion of affairs could be comprehended, he 
dashed across the stage, mounted a fleet horse, 
which was in waiting in the alley in the rear 
of the theater, and escaped. 

That man was John Wilkes Booth, notori- 
ously a rebel, an actor of some merit, but now 
an escaping murderer. 

As soon as the audience realized the 
fact that the President was shot, the wildest 
excitement prevailed, and shouts of Hang 
him! Hang him ! resounded from every part 
of the house. The dying President was borne 
to a private house — Mr. Peterson's, across the 
street — and prominent physicians and sur- 
geons were summoned at once. It was soon 
discovered that there was no hope. Mem- 
bers of the cabinet assembled, together with 
other distinguished men, and stood mourn- 
fully grouped about the couch of the uncon- 
scious chief magistrate. An eye witness wrote 
thus: "The scene was one of extraordinary 
solemnity. The history of the world fur- 
nishes no parallel. Breathing his life serenely 
away, sensible to no pain and unconscious 
of all around, the Great Man of the nine- 
teenth century lay, passing away to that im- 
mortality accorded by Providence to few of 
earth." 

All the long, weary night the watchers stood 
around the couch. Day came at length, and 



THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND. 



99 



at twenty-two minutes past seven o'clock on 
Saturday morning, April 15th, 1865, the spirit 
of Abraham Lincoln, freed from its earthly 
tenement, went to God who gave it, and the 
nation went into mourning. 

It had been remarked that Secretary Seward 
was not among the members of the Cabinet 
who rallied around the bedside of their dying 
Chief; but when Surgeon-General Barnes 
reached the house, the reason was made clear. 
In substance, this is what happened to Sur- 
geon-General Barnes : He was met in front 
of Willard's Hotel by an officer, on the night 
of the assassination, who informed him that 
the President was shot. Supposing that 
the deed had been done at the presidential 
mansion, he hurried to the surgeon-general's 
office to give orders for assistance, and there 
he found a summons to the bedside of Secre- 
tary Seward, who had also been attacked by 
an assassin. Believing that this occurrence 
was what gave rise to the story that the Presi- 
dent was shot, he immediately hurried to the 
chamber of Mr. Seward. He found him lying 
upon the bed with one cheek cut open, and 
the flesh lying over on the pillow. The room 
presented a horrible appearance. Blood be- 
spattered everything. The attendants were 
huddled into corners, frightened and helpless. 
No one seemed capable of giving a single 
detail of the terrible occurrence. Dr. Barnes 
immediately gave his attention to Mr. Seward, 
but shortly Dr. Norris came, and turning Mr. 
Seward over to his care, the surgeon-general 
proceeded to look after the assistant secretary, 
Mr. Frederick Seward, who was lying wounded 
and insensible in an adjoining room. Soon 
after, other surgeons came in, and from them 
he learned the distressing facts regarding the 
assassination of the President, and went at 
once to his bedside. 

However strange it may seem to us of to-day, 
as we read the various and voluminous ac- 
counts of those occurrences, yet it is a fact, 
that not for several days afterward, did any 
one seem to grasp the idea that it was a pre- 
concerted scheme of assassination — a con- 
certed plot to take not only the life of the 
President, but of other prominent men also. 



The one great overshadowing crime seemed 
to literally draw all attention to itself. Other 
transactions were dwarfed by it. Even the 
history of nations could jjroduce no equal. 
True, Brutus slew Caesar in the Roman Senate 
chamber, and Charlotte Corday murdered 
Murat in his bath; but neither instance paral- 
leled this unheard of atrocity. 

Gradually, however, as events began to un- 
fold themselves, and the horizon of disturb- 
ance to clear, it was seen that the assassination 
was a part of a well-devised scheme, the only 
part, which, owing to some cause or causes 
unknown, had been carried into full effect. 
It soon became known also that the Metro- 
politan police had long been aware that a 
society called the Knights of the " Blue 
Gauntlet," the same in all essentials as that 
of the " Knights of the Golden Circle," existed 
in Washington; and they not only knew its 
place of meeting, but the names of many of the 
members. Not deeming it at all dangerous, 
but little attention had been paid to it, be- 
cause the secrets of the " Knights of the 
Golden Circle," or rather the "Sons of 
Liberty," that being the real name of the 
organization, had become known, through 
the address of Timothy Webster, one of the 
most daring and skillful members of the 
secret service ever in the employ of the 
United States government ; and who was cap- 
tured in Richmond, tried, convicted and 
hanged as a spy by the orders of Gen. Winder, 
April 29, 1862. 

A brief account of Webster's initiation into 
the secret society of the " Sons of Liberty " 
in the city of Baltimore, in 1861, may be 
given here as an illustration of the general 
character of the secret societies of that time, 
whose object was to aid the cause of the 
South, no matter under what name they mas- 
queraded. Webster, it should be understood, 
had so ingratiated himself into the good graces 
of leading secessionists in Baltimore, that 
there was not the slightest suspicion afloat re- 
garding him. On the contrary, he was so 
implicitly trusted that he visited unquestioned 
all parts of the South, making long visits to 
Richmond, where he was " Hail fellow, well 



100 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



met! " with prominent rebels, and their trusted 
agent in Washington, wliere they frequently 
sent him with important dispatches, the an- 
swers to which were to be delivered to the 
authorities in Richmond; but which, it is need- ' 
less to say, reached other hands than those of 
Judah P. Benjamin, the rebel Secretary of 
War, for whom many of them were intended. 
Among other prominent rebels in Baltimore 
was one Sloan, a noted rebel, with whom Web- 
ster was on the most intimate terms. During 
Webster's absence on one of his southern 
trips, certain secessionists of Baltimore or- 
ganized a secret society of which they were 
very desirous that he should become a mem- 
ber, and to Sloan, because he was an intimate 
friend, was delegated the duty of soliciting 
him to join. Seizing a favorable opportunity 
on Webster's return to the city, Sloan guard- 
edly broached the subject. 

"The fact is," said Sloan, "after you went 
away we formed a secret society." 

"A secret society ? " 

"Yes; and we have held several meetings." 

" Is it a success .' " 

" A perfect success. Some of the best in 
the town are among our members. We may 
be forced to keep silent, but they can't com- 
pel us to remain idle. We are well organ- 
ized, and we mean undying opposition to a 
tyrannical government. I tell you, Webster, 
we will not down ! " 

"Never!" responded Webster, imitating 
the boastful tone and bearing of his friend 
Sloan. "It does not lie in the power of those 
white-livered Yankees to make slaves of 
Southern men! I should like to become a 
member of your society, Sloan." 

" They all want you," said Sloan, eagerly. 
"We passed a resolution to that effect at our 
last meeting. We want the benefit of your 
counsel and influence." 

"What is the name of your society ? " 

"The Sons of Liberty." 

" When will your next meeting be held .'' " 

" To-night." 

"So soon.'" 

"Yes; and you are expected to attend. 
Have you any objections } " 



" None whatever. But how will I get there ? " 
"I am delegated to be your escort." 
" What is your hour of meeting? " 
"Twelve o'clock." 

" Ah ! A midnight affair. All right, Sloan, 
you will find me waiting at the hotel." 

Promptly at eleven o'clock Sloan appeared 
at the hotel, whence he and Webster pro- 
ceeded toward the place of meeting. It was 
a dark and stormy night, and, as Webster 
thought, just the right sort of a night for con- 
cocting hellish plots and the performance of 
evil deeds.. As Robert Burns says: 

" Tliat night, a chiel might understand. 
The Deil had business on his hand." 

Sloan led the way to a remote quarter of 
the city, and into a street which bore a par- 
ticularly bad reputation. Stopping, he said; 

" I must blindfold you, Webster, before 
proceeding any further. This is a rule of the 
order, which, under any circumstance, cannot 
be departed from." 

Webster quietly submitted, and a thick 
bandage was placed over his eyes and se- 
curely fastened. Then Sloan took him by the 
arm and led him forward. Blindfolded as he 
was, Webster knew that they turned suddenly 
into an alley and passed through a gate which 
Sloan shut behind them. He also knew that 
they were in a paved court, probably in the 
rear of some building. Just then Sloan whis- 
pered : 

"Come this way and make no noise." 

The ne.vt moment he knocked in a peculiar 
manner against a door, and Webster knew it 
to be a signal. Immediately a guarded voice 
asked : 

" Are you white.'" 

Sloan responded: " Down with the blacks." 

A chain clanked inside, a bolt was with- 
drawn, the door creaked slightly on its rusty 
hinges, and they entered ; immediately they 
began to climb a thickly carpeted stair, at the 
head of which they were challenged : 

" Hah ! Who comes there ? " 

" Long live Jeff Davis," answered Sloan. 

Passing through another door, they entered 
an apartment in which there seemed to be 



THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND. 



lOI 



several persons. A voice, meant to be im- 
pressive, demanded : 

" Whom have we here ? " 

"A friend, Most Noble Chief, wiio wishes 
to become a member of this worthy league." 

" His name? " 

'' Timothy Webster." 

" Have the objects of this league been fully 
explained to him ?" 

" Most Noble Chief, they have." 

' Mr. Webster, is it your desire to become 
a member of this knightly band? " 

"It is." 

Then came the ring of swords leaping from 
scabbards, and their clank as they met in an 
arch of steel above his head ; and then the 
Noble Chief continued: 

'■ You will now kneel upon your right knee, 
place your right hand upon your heart, and 
repeat after me the obligation of our brother- 
hood." 

"I, Timothy Webster, a citizen of Balti- 
more, having t)een fully informed of the ob- 
jects of this Association, and being in full 
sympathy and accord with the cause it seeks 
to advance, do solemnly declare and affirm, 
upon my sacred honor, that I will keep for- 
ever secret all that I may see or hear, in con- 
sequence of being a member of this league; 
that I will implicitly obey all orders, and 
faithfully discharge all duties assigned to me, 
no matter of what nature or character they 
may be ; and that life or death will be held 
subordinate to the success and advancement 
of the cause of the Confederacy, and of the de- 
feat of the bloody tyrants who are striving to 
rule by oppression and terrorism. Should I 
fail in the proper performance of any task 
imposed upon me, or should I prove unfaith- 
ful to the obligations I now assume, may I 
suffer the severest penalty awarded for treason 
and cowardice, and the odium belonging 
thereto, as well as the scorn and contempt of 
all true brother knighls." 

Again the swords clanked as they were re- 
turned to their scabbards, and the newly obli- 
gated member was commanded to arise. He 
obeyed, and the bandage was removed. At 
first he was blinded by the sudden light, but 



as his eyes became accustomed lo it, he found 
himself surrounded by several stalwart men, 
all of whom wore dark cloaks and black masks. 

" Mr. Webster," said the Chief, " 1 now pro- 
nounce you a Son of Liberty." 

The masks were now removed, and to his 
relief, Webster discovered that the faces were 
all familiar. A cordial grasp of the hand was 
given by each in turn, and then they entered 
the principal council chamber, and Webster 
was escorted to a seat. In a few minutes the 
clock struck twelve, when every door was 
locked, and the real work of the order begun. 
There were some forty men present, and 
Webster noticed that they were from among 
the best citizens of Baltimore, the rowdy ele- 
ment not being represented. He was now 
instructed in the passes, signs and grips of 
the order, and especially in the rallying sign, 
which was three crosses, disposed in a triangle. 

It is not necessary to say more under this 
head, our only design being to give the reader 
a brief sketch of the so often denied secret 
society of the South, which in time, by the 
aid of Clement L. Vallandingham, of Ohio, 
permeated the entire North, and which, but 
for a fortunate circumstance that took place 
in tlie city of Indianapolis in 1863, would 
have resulted in fire and bloodshed through- 
out several of the Northern States, and which 
years later found an individual culmination in 
a bloody tragedy on an obscure island in the 
Great River St. Lawrence. 

Suffice it to say that in this case Webster 
listened to the schemes which were in pre- 
paration to destroy our National Capital, 
learned the names of the plotters and sympa- 
thizers in Washington, and in process of time 
so managed matters that this particular camp 
of the Sons of Liberty found itself immured 
behind the bars of tlie Old Capitol Prison. 

As a further instance, it may be interesting 
to know that a shrewd detective, who is yet 
living, and whose name it is unnecessary to 
mention here, was sent from Cincinnati to 
Louisville, Kentucky, by order of Gen. George 
B. McClellan, for the purpose of uniting with 
the Brotherhood, in order that he might learn 
its secrets, methods of work, designs and plans, 



I02 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



which he fully ciccomplished, being initiated, 
as a comparison of dates shows, at Louisville, 
only two nights later than was Webster at 
Baltimore. The initiatory ceremonies, grips, 
signs, passes and signals were found to be 
identical. 

The Knights of the '' Blue Gauntlet " had 
no names. The individual members were 
known only by numbers ; and any order or 
direction from the Chief was always sent to a 
number and not to a name. With this, and 
a few other minor differences, the Sons of 
Liberty and the Knights of the Blue Gauntlet 
were the same. All this was known to the 
police, but never for a moment was there the 
slightest danger apprehended, so powerless for 
any real harm did the organization appear. 
That it was not more closely investigated, and 
entirely broken up, was a fatal mistake ; real- 
ized when too late to be remedied. In fact, it 
had been but little more than a year since 
these secret meetings had been revived, and 
then more as a political factor than any thing 
else. To prevent the nomination and re- 
election of Abraham Lincoln was a consum- 
mation ardently desired by the friends of the 
Confederacy. With him no longer at the 
head of the government, a compromise would 
be effected, the war ended, and virtually 
victory would perch upon the flag of the 
South. 

But from this semi-passive political position 
to one more pronounced was easy. All that 
was wanted was a leader. A man who, within 
himself, combined all the elements, — -a strong 
will, unlimited zeal, unbounded enthusiasm, a 
strong personal magnetism, and a blind, un- 
reasoning devotion to a cause whether right 
or wrong, coupled with an overwhelming de- 
sire for notoriety. Such a leader they found 
in John Wilkes Booth. As affording a slight 
insight into his character, an extract of a letter 
to the Washington Chronicle, written after the 
assassination, by A. D. Doty, of Albany, a 
soldier then in Carver hospital, AVashington, 
is here given. He says: "At the commence- 
ment of the war, J. Wilkes Booth was playing 
an engagement at the Gayety Theater in 
Albany, N. Y., which city attested in action 



more eloquent than words its love for the old 
flag by displaying it from every roof and 
window, when the news came of the unholy 
attack on Fort Sumter. Booth, at that time, 
openly and boldly avowed his admiration for 
the rebels and their deeds, which he character- 
ized as the most heroic of modern times ; and 
he boasted loudly that the Southern leaders 
knew how to defend their rights, and that 
they would never submit to oppression. So 
vehement and incautious was he in his ex- 
pressions, that the people became incensed 
and threatened him with personal violence, 
and he was compelled to make a hasty de- 
parture from the city. Before leaving, he 
attempted the life of an actress of whom he 
had become jealous. Finding his way to 
her room at midnight, he assaulted her with 
a dagger, fortunately inflicting but a slight 
wound. With the fury of a tigress she sprang 
upon him, and wrenching the weapon from 
his hand, in turn wounded him." 

These episodes show that he was not only a 
virulent rebel, but was at heart an assassin. 
Not only was Booth a murderer, but he was a 
mercenar)^ one. While he was willing to as- 
sassinate the President, he wanted pay for 
doing it. Notoriety it would bring, but with 
it he wanted gold. 

All along during the war, and especially in 
the years 1863 and 1864, Canada's principal 
cities swarmed with Southerners. St. Cath- 
arines, Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa and A'lon- 
treal, were especially favored by these gentle- 
men; some of whom were accredited agents 
of the Confederacy, while they were all en- 
gaged in plotting against the North, and set- 
ting schemes on foot worthy the palmiest days 
of Diabolus, for the destruction of our lake 
cities in the absence of their defenders who 
were fighting against treason and rebellion on 
Southern soil. 

It has been already hinted that the secret 
order of the Knights of the Golden Circle had 
found a lodgement in some of the Northern 
States, especially in the States of New York, 
Indiana and Illinois; though Pennsylvania 
and Ohio were largely represented in their 
councils. In Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, 




ENTRANCE TO LAKE OF THE ISLES. 



THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND. 



105 



the lodges were but few and far between. It 
was in Indiana and Illinois, that their great 
strength lay. In the former State there were 
loo.ooo armed and organized knights, ready 
to do the bidding of their chiefs. These 
were in constant communication with the 
Southern emissaries who, under the protection 
of Canada, plotted treason, laid plans to cap- 
ture steamers on the lakes and on the St. 
Lawrence river, fill them with armed men, 
and simultaneously descend upon Rochester, 
Buffalo, Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago, and 
firing them, rob, pillage, and murder, escaping 
to Canada as a place of safety. It was among 
the Confederate residents of Canada that the 
diabolical scheme was set on foot to scatter 
small pox throughout the cities of the North 
by means of infected rags. 

While Indiana, under the magnetic inspira- 
tion of that greatest among the great war 
Governors, Oliver P. Morton, responded with 
alacrity to every demand upon her for troops, 
to an extent far beyond her quotas, sending 
to the front, as a matter of fact, more men in 
proportion to her population than any other 
State in the Union, she was also cursed to a 
much greater extent with that abhorred pro- 
duct of the rebellion, the " Copperhead; " who 
was also, whenever the opportunity offered, a 
Knight of the Golden Circle. It has been 
already stated that they numbered a hundred 
thousand. It is no wild statement. It can 
be verified by the muster rolls of the order, 
captured in Indianapolis, and now preserved 
in the archives of the State. A brief allusion 
to the facts, will refresh the memory of many 
of our readers, while the incident may be of 
some interest. 

In 1863-4, Indianapolis was a great military 
camp. Sentries were stationed everywhere. 
The air was rife with rumors of an uprising in 
various portions of the State. The camps 
around the city were more closely guarded 
than ever. Emissaries of those inimical to 
the government had secretly poisoned the 
minds of many of the soldiers, and desertions 
were frequent. These were .concealed in 
almost inaccessible places and carefully 
guarded against recapture. Bands of Southern 



sympathizers drilled openly in the fields. 
United States marshals were set upon by in- 
furiated mobs, maltreated and murdered. 
Every citizen went armed. Fearful rumors of 
an impending outbreak permeated the com- 
munity, but when, or how, or from what source 
the blow was to come, none could tell. Sur- 
mise was the only certainty. A sentry on duty 
at the Union depot was watching the unload- 
ing from a car a mass of boxes. They were 
consigned to Dodd & Co., merchants, at whose 
store was the " Repository of the American 
Bible Society," and these boxes were supposed 
to contain Bibles for distribution among the 
soldiers. One of the boxes was slightly 
shattered by the rough handling it received at 
the hands of those who were unloading the 
freight. A bit of metal gleaming through a 
crevice in the broken box attracted the soldier's 
attention. 

" Nice lot of books them," he said to him- 
self. " Silver plated Bibles, I reckon. Pretty 
durn tony them tract peddlers is gittin. Guess 
I'll have a look at one of 'em, anyhow." 

A brief investigation revealed to the soldier 
the startling fact that the box contained re- 
volvers. It suddenly occurred to him that 
he had heard that the firm of Dodd & Co. 
were suspected of being rebel sympathizers, 
though by no means outspoken. Unlearned, 
but with a shrewdness worth more in a case 
like this than all the diplomas ever issued 
from college halls, he at once decided how to 
act. Not a word did he breathe to his ser- 
geant, nor to the officer of the guard. He 
saw clearly that it was a case requiring judg- 
ment, and yet promptness. Calling a com- 
rade, he was about to send him to the Gen- 
eral's headquarters with a note, when fortu- 
nately the General and two or three members 
of his staff came riding down Illinois avenue. 
As they neared his post, he saluted and then 
called to the General. In a few words he 
made known his discovery. The General dis- 
mounted and made a personal examination, 
satisfying himself that the statement was true. 
Sending for the officer of the guard, he or- 
dered him to count the boxes and affix a pri- 
vate mark to each one, and then note care- 



io6 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIJ'ER. 



fully who came for them. Mounting his 
horse, he returned to headquarters. 

By and by draymen came for the boxes, 
and, strangely enough, with every dray load 
that moved away, there loitered along on the 
opposite side of the street a lazy unconcerned 
looking citizen who always had business in 
the same direction the dray was going. The 
goods were unloaded in the rear of Dodd & 
Co.'s store, transferred to an elevator and sent 
above. Over this store, and three stores ad- 
joining, in the third story, was an immense 
empty chamber which had never been utilized. 
It was one vast unfinished garret, as every one 
supposed. 

There were times when early in the morn- 
ing bits of paper, on which three crosses in a 
triangular form had been printed, were found 
pasted to fences, trees and tree boxes, or scat- 
tered loosely about ; and so often did this 
occur that it was accepted as a sign — but a 
sign of what ? 

The next morning after the boxes were 
hoisted to the upper story of Dodd & Co.'s 
store, those triangular emblems were more 
numerous than ever before. So were the lazy 
men in citizen's clothes. They were disrepu- 
table men, too, because they were frequently 
seen to gather, two or three at a time, in the 
alley in the rear of the store, and drink from 
a bottle and then disappear. That night was 
a great business night for Dodd & Co. The 
store was thronged and never before were 
clerks so busy. Even the lazy citizen was 
there, having overcome his indolence so far 
as to make some slight purchases. Not hav- 
ing anything himself to do, he noticed what 
others were doing; and, among other things, 
he noticed that instead of going out the way 
they came in, that is to say, by the front door, 
they went out at the back door ; slipped out, 
so to speak, singly ; and, it seemed to him, as 
if desirous of not being observed. It also 
seemed to him that he could hear the noise of 
the elevator at work. A careful investigation 
showed that it was at work, and that the cus- 
tomers were going into the story above, prob- 
ably to complete their purchases ! 

Be that as it may, a couple of hours later. 



all the lower part of the store was filled with 
soldiers, both front and rear, and squad after 
squad went up in the elevator, and then came 
the grand climax. The boxes of Bibles con- 
signed to Dodd & Co. were found as marked 
and numbered. They were packed with navy 
revolvers and ammunition. Buc this was the 
least important of the capture. This turned 
out to be the general headquarters of the 
order for the State. In this room the Adju- 
tant-General had his office. The rolls and 
reports of the order were found. The names 
of the members of every camp of the Knights 
of the Golden Circle in the State were there. 
It was a revelation. Men against whom not 
a breath of suspicion had ever found utter- 
ance, here stood revealed as officials high in 
the secret councils of treason. Correspond- 
ence with Jacob Thompson, Clement C. Clay 
and Larry McDonald, then in Canada as 
accredited agents of the Confederacy, was dis- 
covered; but over and above everything else, 
a plot to burn the cities already mentioned, 
and the time when a general rising was to 
take place, all was revealed. The conspira- 
tors stood aghast, with no word of excuse to 
offer. Under a strong guard they were 
marched away to the jail and to the military 
prison, and by early morning two Major- 
Generals of the order, one in La Fayette, and 
another in Evansville, together with several 
Brigadiers and Colonels, a score or more, 
were under arrest, and on their way by the 
first trains to the Capital City. Dodd, Horsey 
and Mulligan, the Bible operators, were tried 
among the rest, and in a few weeks there were 
no spare casemates in Fort La Fayette, and 
the Dry Tortugas was crowded. From that 
time a great fear fell upon the Knights of the 
Golden Circle in Indiana. Their collapse 
was as complete as it was sudden. Here and 
there in the strongest copperhead localities, 
an attempt was made to revive the order 
under new names, but it was a signal failure. 
It is a pleasure to be able to record the fact 
that the soldier who first discovered the 
"silver plated Bibles" was promptly pro- 
moted. His coolness and self-command at 
the time of the discovery made the detection 



THE AfVSTERV OF MAPLE ISLAND. 



107 



of the conspirators certain. Had he been 
less shrewd, and informed his sergeant or 
lieutenant, the chances are that the find would 
have been known throughout the city in an 
hour ; the evening paper would have displayed 
glaring headlines, and the chance to entrap 
the Knights of the Golden Circle would have 
been lost. 

In the meantime, Chicago, Cleveland, 
Buffalo and other lake and river cities were 
warned, and had taken measures for their 
own safety. The Confederate plotters in 
Canada saw at a glance that the game was up. 
The chances of capturing steamers on the 
lakes, and transforming them into quasi vessels 
of war, were utterly destroyed ; and so they 
turned themselves to the consideration of new 
schemes. They began to despair of conquer- 
ing the North, and as a recompense for defeat 
they nourished revenge. Gradually this desire 
grew into a discussion as to ways and means, 
and finally led to the consideration of a 
method of relief for the South, which, could 
it be carried into effect, would be the crown- 
ing scheme of all. This was the assassination 
of IJncoln, Johnson, Seward, Grant, Sherman 
and Sheridan, and as many other prominent 
officers and men of affairs as could be reached 
and struck down at the same hour, through 
concerted action. This done, the South must 
be victorious. Visions of place and power in 
the future to those who could conceive and 
execute this daring scheme fired their ambi- 
tion, and personal aggrandizement, more than 
pro patria, urged them on. But a tool must 
be found, and they had not far to look. 

John Wilkes Booth was starring in Canada, 
and to him they instinctively turned. Dur- 
ing his engagement in Toronto, a meeting 
took place at the Queen's Hotel. Booth knew 
enough about these men and some otliers 
then in Canada, not to be surprised at any 
scheme they might propose. Already they 
had perpetrated acts of villainy that if even 
half punished, would expatriate them for life. 
On the other hand they knew the man before 
them. They had fathomed his inordinate 
vanity, and well knew his sordid ambition. 
They ministered to the one, and made promises 



which, if fulfilled, would .ibundantly gratify 
the other. They assured him that the success 
of the scheme depended upon himself alone. 
That, if successful, unbounded wealth and 
fame to gratify the most ambitious would 
be his. 

At first, Booth hesitated at the idea of whole- 
sale murder. Another scheme had entered 
his fertile brain, and until that failed, there 
should be no murder; but if it failed, then — 
The plan was to kidnap the President and as 
many others as could be taken, gag them, 
convey them to a safe retreat, and when an 
opportunity offered, transfer them to the rebel 
capital. All these facts are substantiated by 
evidence on file in the government archives 
at Washington, among which is a letter written 
by Booth which reveals the entire scheme. 

The discovery of a house on street in 

Washington, with furnished underground 
apartments provided with manacles, and all 
the accessories of solitary confinement, is evi- 
dence indisputable. In an upper room of the 
same building the Knights of the Blue Gaunt- 
let held their secret meetings, and finally 
plotted murder. 

Throughout all his base designs the dra- 
matic element in Booth was always uppermost. 
He planned a triumphal starring trip through- 
out the South. Full of this idea, he shipped 
his theatrical wardrobe from Canada, and 
when his plans had been successfully carried 
out, he would don the buskin once more, and 
become a theatrical star of the first magnitude, 
though his crime rather than his ability as an 
actor, should prove the drawing card. If 
assassination, which he now began to seriously 
contemplate, should be the final outcome of 
all this damnable plotting, what a Brutus he 
would become. That immortal creation of 
Shakspeare, Julius Cassar, should be so modi- 
fied, that Washington would become Rome, 
and Abraham Lincoln, Cresar. Payne, and 
Atzeroth, and Surratt, and Harold, and half a 
score of others of a like character should be 
the grand conspirators, while he, the chief 
conspirator of all, the head, the director, the 
murderer par excellence, would be the Brutus. 
How realistic it would all be. A great Shaks- 



io8 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



perean tragedy, only modilied in some par- 
ticulars to adapt it to time and circumstance, 
played by a troupe whose leading characters 
were real assassins! What a triumph of the 
Thespian art! What a modern histrionic suc- 
cess! One thing only was lacking. Were it 
but possible to assassinate a veritable Lincoln 
at every presentation of the play, nothing more 
could be desired. 

Booth soon discovered that his scheme of 
kidnapping could not be carried out. It was 
deemed too rash. He could find no one who 
would engage in the hazardous undertaking. 
Something must be done to satisfy, first, his 
own egotistic ambition, and, second, to earn 
the guerdon of blood, an earnest of which, in 
English gold, he had already received at the 
hands of his employers, the Confederate agents 
of the South. 

Now he began to plan in earnest the vil- 
lainous scheme of assassination. Furnished 
with abundant funds, he dropped an anchor 
to windward by depositing four hundred and 
fifty-five dollars, his own money, in the Bank 
of Ontario, at Montreal. This, with date of 
entry, was shown by his bank book, which 
was captured with Atzeroth. 

Then came a search for the proper tools. 
Along the eastern boundary of Kentucky, 
bordering on Virginia, in a region of hills and 
mountains almost inaccessible, is a section of 
country which, for years, has been the home 
of family feuds, vvhich have resulted in nu- 
merous murders, and, consequently in the 
growth of a class of men who held life very 
cheap, and to whom a bloody vendetta was 
but a recreation. In the midst of such asso- 
ciations, seven brothers, named Payne, had 
grown up. They were outlaws born, robbers 
by profession, and murderers from choice, 
though the sons of a Christian minister. So 
bold had they become, and so bloody their 
raids, especially on the homes of those moun- 
taineers suspected of favoring the Union, 
that at length troops were sent into their 
neighborhood with instructions to kill or cap- 
ture them. It was a cavalry force under the 
lead of an officer only too well disposed to 
carry out his Instructions. The father was 



captured and im|)risoned, and the sons made 
their escape. Three of them went to South 
America, and four of them to Florida, and 
thence to Canada. Two of them were en- 
gaged in the St. Albans raid, one escaped, 
and the other, Lewis Payne, under the as- 
sumed name of Wood, and by the direction 
of the Confederate agents in Canada, reported 
to Booth in Washington, where, later on, he 
was joined by John A. Payne, one of his 
brothers, whom he had left in Canada. Here, 
then, is a list of conspirators, all of whom have 
joined the Knights of the Blue Gauntlet — 
Booth, the two Paynes, one of whom was 
known as Wood, John H. Surratt, Sam Ar- 
nold, McLaughlin, Harold, John Lloyd, and 
several others, who took the alarm and escaped 
in time to avoid arrest. 

The assassination of Murat by Charlotte 
Corday, of Normandy, is one of the conspicu- 
ous instances on record, that a woman may 
become an assassin; and even though we may 
applaud and justify her act, yet it was assas- 
sination ; and because it was at the hands of 
a woman, its dramatic effect was increased 
tenfold. Keeping the dramatic effect in view. 
Booth determined to have a woman in this 
case, and it was not long before he became 
acquainted with the very person he needed. 

Ten miles from Washington, in Prince 
George's county, Maryland, was a little cross- 
roads hamlet called Surrattsville. The prin- 
cipal property there was a hotel ; one of those 
fine old Southern hostelries which, when in 
the right hands, was as complete a home as a 
temporary stopping place can be made to be. 
The owner gave his name to the village and 
his property to his wife, and died peaceably, 
as a good landlord should. The wife carried 
on the hotel business for a while and then 
rented the property to one John Lloyd, re- 
moving with her son and several daughters to 
Washington. Early in the conflict, Surratts- 
ville became a rebel post-office, and Mrs. Sur- 
ratt a post-mistress. When she removed to 
Washington, John Lloyd looked after the 
mails. In renting her hotel, Mrs. Surratt re- 
served apartments for her own use whenever 
she chose to visit Surrattsville. Mrs. Surratt 



THE MYSTERY OE AEIPI.E /SL.tMD. 



109 



was a large, masculine woman, always self- 
possessed, and in her way, as dangerous a 
rebel as was ever Belle Boyd or Rose Green- 
how. Jolin Wilkes Booth could not have 
found a fitter agent in all Washington, and at 
her house in the city and her rooms in the 
country tavern Booth was ever welcome, and 
there treason took definite shape. 

After the preliminaries had all been settled, 
a plan of escape was to be devised. To this 
end, Booth took a trip on horseback through 
lower Maryland as far as Leonardstown, pro- 
fessing to purchase land, but in reality to 
mark on his map every spot and place, and 
every road and crossing which might in the 
near future become useful. He had provided 
himself with one of the maps which was pub- 
lished for the rebel government by a copper- 
head firm in Buffalo, N. Y., but which was 
not full enough for his purposes, and so he 
made the needed corrections after personal 
e.xamination. 

The conspiracy made no undue haste. All 
the influence thereto was absorbed by Booth 
and Mrs. Surratt. He was the chief plotter 
and she his main stay. Even among the 
principals, assassination, though agreed upon, 
was never referred to except by implication. 
To have openly spoken of murder among 
themselves and in their most secret consulta- 
tions, would not have been tolerated for a mo- 
ment. It was against the canons of polite 
society. In this society Booth was at home; 
he was supreme; cool, vigilant and plausible; 
the chief command was easily accorded him, 
and he felt himself great in intellectual stat- 
ure. Mrs. Surratt was too shrewd to embroil 
any member of her family in the conspiracy; 
and so it happened that young Surratt, though 
fully cognizant of everything, was sent north 
by his mother a day before the assassination. 
For a year or more he had been employed as 
a clerk in the office of the Commissary-Gen- 
eral of Prisoners. He was a prominent mem- 
ber of the Knights of the Blue Gauntlet, and 
treasurer of the camp. 

An extract or two from a letter of his to a 
cousin residing in New York, may be of in- 
terest : 



" Ol'FICE Ol'' TIIIC Cdmmissakv-Gknekai, . 
OK Prison Kits, '- 

Washington, D. C, Feb. 6, 1865. J 
' Miss Belle Seaman : 

" Dear Cousin. — I received your letter, and not 
being quite so selfish .is 3'oii arc, I will answer it in 
what I call a reasonable lime. I am happy to say 
that we are all well and in fine spirits. We have 
been looking for you to come on, with a great deal 
of impatience. Do come, won't you ? Just to think, 
I have never yet seen one of my cousins. But never 
fear, I will probably see you all sooner than you ex- 
pect. Next week I leave for Europe, and may give 
you a call, as I go to New York. * * * I have just 
taken a peep in the parlor. Would you like to 
know what I saw there ! Well, Ma was sitting on 
the sofa, nodding first to one chair, then another, 
and then the piano. Anna is sitting in a corner, 
dreaming, I expect, of J. W. Booth. Who is J. W. 
Booth? Well, she can answer that question. 
•A- ■:(- * gy[ hark, the door-bcU rings, and Mr. 
J. W. Booth, is announced. Just listen to the scam- 
pering. Such brushing and fixing. Wc all send 
love to you and family. 

" Your Cousin, 
"J. HARRISON SURRATT, 
"541 H Street, between 6th and 7th streets." 

Matters were now approaching a crisis. It 
was at first intended that the assassination 
should take place during the inauguration 
ceremonies, but it was finally decided to be 
too risky. Wtien it became known that the 
President would appear in public at Ford's 
Theatre, the time for definite action was plain. 

Booth's principal actors were now assigned 
their parts. John Harrison Surratt was to go 
north into Canada, and on hearing of the 
result, if all was right, he was to repair at once 
to Toronto and there claim the promised gold 
and make his way to Richmond. Atzeroth 
was to murder the Vice-president, Andrew 
Jackson ; Lewis Payne, or Wood as he called 
himself, was to look after Seward ; Sam 
Arnold and McLaughlin, were each to kill a 
cabinet officer, and John Lloyd, a general. 
John A. Payne, with two confederates, had 
gone to North Carolina to look after Sherman. 
Harold was the stage manager, and looked 
after the properties. Horses and arms were 
provided, and every possible avenue of escape 
cleared, even to cutting tlie telegraph wires 
around the city. On the very afternoon of 



I TO 



A SOUVEXIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



the murder Mrs. Surratt visited Surrattsville 
and told Jolin Lloyd to have the carbines 
which voting Surratt had placed in his care, 
ready for immediate use, as they would be 
needed that night. Lloyd had sent his wife 
away on a visit. Three weeks before the 
murder, Harold told some friends that the 
next time they heard of him he would be 
in Spain ; adding that there was " no extra- 
dition treaty with that country." John Lloyd 
told friends at Surrattsville that he would 
'■ make a barrel of money or that his neck 
would stretch." Atzeroth said in Port To- 
bacco, that if he " ever visited that place 
again he would be rich enough to buy it." 

On that fateful Friday night Ford's Theater 
was crowded. Long before the curtain rose, 
the " Standing room only " card was displayed 
at the ticket office window. Near the door, 
the lobby was crowded. Booth went on the 
stage, and from behind the scenes looked 
searchingly over the audience. Suddenly 
near the door, a voice was heard. It said : 
" Nine o'clock and forty-five minutes ! " 
The words were repeated by other voices 
until they reached the sidewalk. While peo- 
ple wondered, the voice said again : 
" Nine o'clock and fifty minutes ! " 
This also passed on as before, and then — 
after an interval — 

'• Nine o'clock and fifty-five minutes ! " 
The life of the President was growing 
shorter by intervals of five minutes each. 
The bells in the clock towers tolled out ten 
o'clock. Why, they knew not, but a shudder 
crept through the audience. 

" Ten o'clock and five minutes ! " 
Another interval. Then : 
" Ten o'clock and ten minutes ! " 
At this instant Booth entered the door of 
the theater, and the men who had so faith- 
fully repeated the murder-laden minutes scat- 
tered as though a messenger of Death had 
apiDroached. Five minutes more and the 
deed was done. 

At the same moment Payne was scattering 
blood from room to room in Secretary Sew- 
ard's home. Having murdered Mr. Seward, 
as he thought, and but for Robinson, the 



nurse, it would have been an accomjilished 
fact, he mounted his horse and attempted to 
find Booth and Harold, but the selfishness of 
crime was uppermost, and they had gone and 
left him to his fate. The city was alarmed, 
and he fled to the open country ; when near 
Port Lincoln, on the Baltimore pike, his 
horse stumbled and threw him headlong. 
Half stunned and bewildered, he arose and 
resolving to return to the city, attempted to 
disguise himself. 

He threw away his bloody coat, which was 
afterward found, and from a sleeve of his . 
woolen undershirt he fashioned a rude cap, 
and then, plentifully daubing himself with 
mud and clay, and shouldering a pick which 
he found in the intrenchments near by, he 
started for Washington. 

He reached Mrs. Surratt's door just as the 
officers were arresting her. He was taken 
into custody. He had come, he said, to dig 
a ditch for Mrs. Surratt, who had hired him. 
With all the effrontery of crime, Mrs. Surratt 
protested that she had never before seen the 
man, and that she had no ditch to dig. The 
officers washed Payne's hands and found them 
to be soft and tender as a woman's. In his 
pockets they found tooth and nail brushes, 
and a delicate pocket knife. Unusual toilet 
implements to be found on the person of a 
digger of ditches. 

Atzeroth's room at the Kirkwood was 
directly over that of Vice-President Johnson. 
He was there to do murder, but the opportu- 
nity failed, and his courage also. He fled in 
such haste that he left his weapons, a bowie 
knife and revolver, between the mattresses of 
his bed. Booth's coat was found in his room, 
and in the pockets were riding gauntlets, 
boxes of cartridges, a map of Maryland, pub- 
lished in Buffalo, and corrected by his own 
hand, a spur, and a handkerchief marked with 
his mother's name. Atzeroth fled alone, and 
when captured was at the house of his uncle 
in Montgomery county, Maryland. Sam 
Arnold and McLaughlin grew faint hearted 
and ran away, without making the slightest 
attempt to carry out their part of the pro- 
gramme. 









ff-i. 






1> 



THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND. 



"3 



It was not until Thursday night that the 
real intentions of JJoolh became fully known 
to the Knights of the Blue Gauntlet. John H. 
Surratt, before leaving the city on Thursday 
morning, confided the facts to a brother 
Knight. Confusion and terror ensued, and 
many of the band hurriedly fled from the 
city, and those who remained kept themselves 
in seclusion. Booth, with his accustomed 
duplicity, had kept them in ignorance, lead- 
ing them to believe that the plan of abduction 
was the one to be pursued. So frightened 
were they that the lodge room, with its para- 
phernalia, was left undisturbed, and with it the 
cells in the basement still furnished, in which 
condition they were found by officers later 
on. Canada was a refuge for Southern rebel- 
dom, and thither they fled. 

Booth and Harold met immediately after 
the murder, and sped away at a gallop past 
the Patent Office, up and over Capitol hill, 
and away to the bridge which crossed the 
Eastern branch at Uniontown, and at mid- 
night they drew rein at Surrattsvillc. Harold 
dismounted, and entering the bar procured a 
bottle of whisky which he handed to Booth, 
and then rushing up stairs he brought down 
one of the carbines which had been left there 
by John H. Surratt. One only was taken. 
The other, left in the hall, was found by the 
officers. As they started off, Booth said to 
Lloyd: " We have murdered the President of 
the United States and the Secretary of State." 
Before sunrise on Saturday morning they 
reached the house of Dr. Mudd. Here Booth's 
injured leg, one of the bones of which was 
broken when he jumped down upon the stage 
at the theatre, was set. A link in the chain 
of evidence was left here; Booth's riding boot 
had to be cut to get it from his foot, and his 
name was written in the inside of the leg on 
the lining. It was not noticed, and so it 
remained there until found by the officers in 
pursuit; one of the clews which revealed the 
route of the fugitives. They were concealed 
at Dr. Mudd's during the day, but at night, 
mounting their horses, they rode away in the 
direction of .^lien's Fresh. It was to Allen's 
Fresh that Lloyd had sent his wife on a visit 



to get her out of tlie way. By the aid of a 
negro, to whom they gave five dollars, they 
reached the house of one Sam Coxe, at mid- 
night. Coxe was a notorious rebel, and though 
the fact could not be fully established, enough 
was learned to convince all who heard his ex- 
amination that he was well aware of the con- 
spiracy. 

The negro, whose name was Swan, remained 
at Co.xe's until they were ready to go, when 
he was to pilot them further on their road. 
Notwithstanding the fact that Swan had seen 
them eating and drinking, the refugees when 
they left the house swore bitterly at Co.xe for 
his lack of hospitality. This was to blind the 
negro; for after they had ridden about five 
miles, they told him that they now knew the 
road, and would no longer have need of his 
services; and giving him five dollars more they 
rode on. But Swan was a shrewd negro, and 
so he watched them until he saw them turn 
back to Co.xe's again, where they were har- 
bored from Sunday until the next Thursday. 

The next move of the fugitives was to cross 
the Potomac. This was a move of some 
danger. Friday evening a white man was 
seen to bring a canoe to the shore and anchor 
it with a stone. Between seven and eight 
o'clock the next morning it disappeared, and 
in the afternoon some workmen saw two men 
land in a canoe on the south side of the 
Potomac, and strike across a ploughed field 
toward King George Court House. One of 
the men walked with a crutch. Booth was 
provided with a crutch at the house of Dr. 
Mudd. They were next heard of at the Port 
Royal Ferry, and then at Garrett's house. 
Now, the long-persecuted Unionists of Lower 
Maryland began to come forward and give 
important testimony, which under threats and 
intimidation they never before dared to whis- 
per. They told of the meetings of the conspir- 
ators at Lloyd's Hotel in Surrattsville, and 
then Lloyd was arrested, Booth's carbine 
found, and three days later Lloyd confessed. 
A little party of detectives under the untiring 
Lovett overhauled the residence of Dr. Mudd, 
where they found Booth's boots. This was 
before Lloyd confessed, and was the first posi- 



114 



A SOin'ENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



live evidence the officers had that they were 
upon the trail of the murderers. Much of the 
after success of the pursuit was due to the care- 
ful work done by this little squad of detectives. 

A second party, under the charge of Major 
O'Beirne, now took the field. Through these 
the hiding place of Atzeroth was discovered, 
and he was arrested. With this party was 
Captain Beckwith, Gen. Grant's chief cipher 
operator, who tapped the wire at Point Look- 
out, and thus put the War Department in 
momentary communication with the theater 
of events. By this time the troops were 
assembling in various parts of the country in 
considerable numbers. Seven hundred men 
of the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, six hundred men 
of the Twenty-second Colored Volunteers and 
one hundred of the Sixteenth New York were 
patrolling the country by detachments, while 
Major O'Beirne and Col. Wells, with a force 
of cavalry and infantry, swept the entire 
peninsula with a line of skirmishers deployed 
in close intervals. Major O'Beirne, with his 
detectives, then crossed the Potomac and 
found where the fugitives had landed from 
the canoe on Boone's farm. This was another 
link in the chain which gave a clew to their 
route. 

Now comes the chief of the secret service. 
Col. Lafayette Baker, on the scene. Absent 
from Washington at the time of the murder, 
he returned three days after, by order of 
Secretary Stanton, and engaged at once in the 
search for Booth. He possessed himself of 
all the War Department knew regarding the 
matter, and then acted- His first find was a 
negro who saw Booth and Harold when they 
crossed the Potomac. 

Sending to General Hancock for twenty- 
five cavalrymen and an officer, Lieutenant 
Edward P. Doherty, he sat down to his maps 
to decide upon the probable route of the 
fugitives. He knew that they would not keep 
close to the coast owing to the difficulty in 
crossing swamps and rivers, nor would they 
take any direction leading east of Richmond, 
where they were likely at any time to strike 
our lines. He soon decided that they would 
be most likely to pass through Port Royal, 



and there he hoped to intercept them. The 
little force of cavalry detailed from Company 
G, i6th N. Y., under the command of Lieu- 
tenant Doherty, having reported, he placed 
them under the command of Lieutenant- 
Colonel Conger, of Ohio, and Lieutenant L. B. 
Baker, of New York, and sent them direct to 
Belle Plain, on the lower Potomac, from thence 
to scour the whole country north of Port 
Royal. Here they found a negro who had 
driven two men, in his wagon, a short distance 
toward Bowling Green. These men answered 
the description of the fugitives. The ferry- 
man who took the party across the Rappa- 
liannuck gave them information of the utmost 
importance, though wrung from him by threats. 
They learned that the two men were at that 
moment lying at the house of one Garrett, 
which they had passed some time before. 
Retracing their steps, the nearly exhausted 
cavalrymen reached Garrett's at two o'clock 
in the morning. It was a pale moonlight 
night. The plain old farmhouse was dimly 
seen through a locust grove. It stood about 
three hundred yards from the road, and behind 
it an old weather-beaten barn, some long corn 
cribs, and a cattle shed. 

Entering the roadside gate, the troops rode 
up to the house. Lieutenant Doherty picketed 
the premises, and then rode up to a side en- 
trance and rapped. An old man in his night 
clothes, with a candle in his hand, made his 
appearance. It was Garret. 

" Where are the men who are staying with 
you .' " asked Doherty. 

" They are gone," he said. " They went 
to the woods this afternoon." 

In the meantime a lad, John M. Garrett, 
had been found by one of Doherty's men in a 
corncrib. Questioned in earnest, he saw that 
evasion would not do, and at once revealed 
the fact that Booth and Harrold were asleep 
in the barn. Doherty had already threatened 
to search the house, and the women were up 
and dressed, but this news changed the pro- 
gramme. 

The troops were dismounted and the barn 
surrounded. Baker hailed the persons inside, 
who could now be heard stirring. 



THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND. 



I'5 



Lieut. Baker called to them: "We are 
about to send in the son of the man in whose 
custody you are found. Surrender your arms 
to him, and give yourselves up or we will fire 
the place." 

There was no answer. The door was 
opened and young Garret pushed inside, ap- 
pealed to them to surrender. With an oath 
Booth said: "Get out of here. You have 
betrayed us." The boy slipped out again as 
the door was slightly opened, and reported 
that his errand had failed. 

The summons was repeated by Baker. 
" You must surrender! Give up your arms 
and come out! There is no chance for escape. 
We give you ten minutes to make up your 
minds." 

Then came the demand: " Who are you, 
and what do you want with us ? " 

Baker again said: " We want you to deliver 
up your arms and become our prisoners." 

After a lapse of some minutes. Baker hailed 
again: " Well, we have waited long enough; 
come out and surrender, or we'll fire the barn. " 

Booth answered: "I am a cripple, a one- 
legged man. Withdraw your forces twenty- 
five paces from the door, and I will come. 
Give me a chance for my life. I will never 
be taken alive." 

" We did not come here to fight, but to 
capture you. Surrender, or the barn will be 
fired," said Doherty. 

"Well, then, my brave boys, prepare a 
stretcher for me," cried Booth. 

Then there was a pause, during which a 
discussion between Booth and his companion 
was heard. Booth said, " Get away from me. 

You're a coward, and want to leave me in 

my distress; but go — go! I don't want you 
to stay — I won't have you stay ! " Then he 
shouted : " There's a man inside here who 
wants to surrender." 

Then Harold rattled at the door, and 
begged to be let out, saying, " I want to 
surrender." 

"Hand out your arms, then," said Doherty. 

" I have none." 

" You are the man who carried the carbine 
yesterday; bring it out." 



" 1 haven't got any." In a whining tone. 

Booth then said: "On the word and honor 
of a man and a gentleman, he has no arms 
with him. They are mine, and I have them." 

Harold came to the door, was seized and 
pulled out by Doherty, handcuffed and turned 
over to Corporal Newgarten. 

Booth then made his last appeal. "Captain, 
give me a chance. Draw off your men and I 
will fight them singly. I could have killed 
you six times to-night, but I believe you to 
be a brave man, and would not murder you. 
Give a lame man a show." 

It was too late for further parley. Before 
he had ceased to speak Colonel Conger slipped 
around to the rear of the barn, and drawing 
some loose straws through a crack set them 
on fire. They were dry and soon in a blaze 
lighting up every part of the great barn. At 
sight of the fire Booth dropped his crutch and 
carbine and crept on his hands and knees to 
the spot hoping to see the incendiary and slioot 
him down. Then he turned upon the fire as 
if to leap upon and extinguish it ; but it had 
gained too much headway. Turning, he 
made for the door, resolved not to die alone, 
when Sergeant Boston Corbett, thinking that 
he was about to shoot Lieutenant Doherty, 
fired with the intention of hitting him in the 
arm, but instead of the arm the bullet struck 
him in the head, barely an inch from the spot 
where the assassin's bullet struck the murdered 
President. 

It was first thought that he had shot him- 
self. He fell into the arms of Lieutenant 
Doherty, who brought him out of the burning 
barn and laid him upon the grass. Water was 
brought and dashed upon his face, and he re- 
vived. He was then carried to the porch of 
the house and laid upon a mattress. Brandy 
and water was given him, and when able to 
speak he said: "Useless, useless." The 
soldiers extinguished the fire. Booth muttered 
"Kill me! Kill me!" Brandy was given him 
every minute, and the doctor who lived six 
miles away, arrived but could do nothing. 
Booth asked to have his hands raised so that 
he could see them; his arms were paralyzed, 
so that he knew not where they were. When 



ii6 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



they were shown hiiu, he muttered: " Useless, 
useless! " They were his last words; applica- 
ble not only to his hands, but to his whole 
life. "Useless." And so he died. His 
remains were sewed up in a saddle blanket, 
placed in a rickety old wagon drawn by an 
^ancient relic of a horse, and the march to 
Washington was begun. The arms found 
with him were a knife, a repeating carbine and 
a pair of revolvers. A diary, bills of exchange 
and Canada money were found on his person. 
Harold was mounted on a horse, his legs tied 
to the stirrups, and placed in charge of four 
men, and the cortege of retributive justice 
moved on. 

" Though the mills of God grind slowly. 
Yet they grind exceeding small ; 
Though wilh patience He stands wailing, 
With exactness grinds He all." 

Ferrying once more at Port Royal they 
pushed on for Belle Plain, reaching there 
about three o'clock in the afternoon, when 
they embarked for Washington, where a few 
only were permitted to see the corpse for the 
purpose of identification. That this should 
be complete, the Secretary of War directed 
Col. Baker to summon a number of witnesses 
residing in Washington who had previously 
known Booth. Six witnesses, who had for 
years known him intimately, were examined, 
and identified the remains. Surgeon-General 
Barnes cut from the neck about two inches of 
the spinal column through which the bullet 
had passed. This is in the Government 
Medical Museum in Washington, and is the 
only relic of the assassin's body in existence. 
No further mutilation of the remains took 
place in the slightest degree. Following the 
further instructions of the Secretary of War 
as to the disposition of the body, it was taken 
directly from the gunboat to the old peniten- 
tiary building adjoining the arsenal grounds, 
and there in a cell a large flat stone was 
raised from the floor, a rude grave dug, the 
body dropped in, and so ended the funeral 
obsequies of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin. 

Atzeroth, Payne, Harold and Mrs. Surratt 
were tried, convicted and hanged. The exe- 
cution took place on the gth of July, 1865. 



Others, no doubt equally guilty in intent, 
escaped ; and the movements of some of 
these will be set forth in this narrative. Into 
the details of the trial and execution, 1 need 
not enter. Complete accounts may be had 
from other sources, no doubt well known to 
the reader. From this point the narrative 
will press steadily on toward the " Mystery of 
Maple Island." 

Much of what is yet to be said is but a 
compilation of existing records, published 
and unpublished, some of which have been 
kindly loaned to the autlior of this chapter. 
The reader will remember that John A. Payne 
was sent to North Carolina to look after 
General Sherman, and the first clue to his 
whereabouts at the time of the assassination, 
is found in the following correspondence, 
which we give entire. 

" MooRiiEAD City, North Carolina, ) 

May 5, 1865. \ 

" Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State : 

Sir: — Enclosed you will find a letter which I 
found floating in the river by the new Government 
wharf, at this place, on the evening of the 2d inst. 
It was not until late last night that I succeeded in 
learning its purport, it being in cipher. Having 
learned its nature, I lose no time in transmitting it 
to yon. I also send acopy of the letteras translated. 
The letter evidently had not been opened when 
thrown in the river. I think the fiend was here 
awaiting the arrival of General Sherman, but learn- 
ing that he had gone by way of Wilmington, and 
being pressed by detectives, threw it overboard. 

Chas. Denet. 

"P. S. — If the letter should lead to anything of im- 
portance, so that it would be necessary that 1 should 
be seen, I can be found at 126 South H St., between 
6th and 4A sts. I am at present engaged in the Con- 
struction Corps. Railroad Department, at this place. 
Will be in Washington in a few days." 

The following is a translation of the cipher 
letter. It was one of those ciphers which are 
readily translatable when the key is known, 
and even that is not so very difficult to dis- 
cover. The government experts were familiar 
with it, having often seen the same cipher in 
captured rebel correspondence. Hence it 
was easy to see that Mr. Denet's ingenuity 
had given him the key to the true meaning of 
the epistle. 



THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND. 



ii; 



[Translation.] 

"Washington, April 15, 1865. 

" Dear John — I am liappy to inform you tliat Pet. 
has done his work well. He is safe and old -Abe is 
in hell. Now, sir, all ej'es are on you — you must 
bring Sherman. Grant is in the hands of Old Gray 
ere this. Red Shoes showed lack of nerve in Sew- 
ard's case, but fell back in good order. Johnson 
must come. Old Crook has him in charge. Mind 
well the Brother's Oath, and you will have no difli- 
culty. All will be safe, and we will enjoy the fruit 
of our labors. We had a large meeting last night — 
all were bent on carrying out the programme to the 
letter. The rails are laid for safe exit. Old — always 
behind — lost the pass at City Point. Now, I say 
again: — The lives of our brave officers and the life 
of the South depends upon the carrying this pro- 
gramme into efTect. No. 2 will give you this. It 
is ordered that no more letters be sent by mail. 
When )'0u write again, sign no re.al name, and send 
by some of our friends who are coming home. We 
want you to write us how the news was received 
there. We receive great encouragement from all 
quarters. I hope there will be no getting weak in 
the knees. I was in Baltimore yesterday. Pet. has 
not got there yet. Don't lose your nerve. 

"No. Five." 
O. B. 

That this delicious bit of treasonable corre- 
spondence was sent to Jolin A, Payne there is 
little or no doubt. From it we also learn that 
'• Pet." was John Wilkes Booth ; " Red Shoes," 
Wood, alias Lewis Payne, and "Old Crook," 
Atzeroth. The letter was evidently written 
early on the morning after the assassination, 
and placed in the hands of No. 2, to convey 
to Payne. It further shows that there was a 
meeting of the Brotherhood of the Blue Gaunt- 
let on the very night of the assassination ; or, 
if not of them as a camp, of some of them as 
a band of conspirators. 

General Sherman's change of route threw 
Payne out in his calculations. The ordinary 
route from Raleigh, where Gen. Sherman's 
headquarters were at the time, to Washington, 
was by rail via Goldsborough and New Bern 
to Moorhead City, thence by steamer to Wash- 
ington. There is no doubt, as Mr. Denet 
suggests, that Payne was on the watch at 
Moorhead City, but learning that Sherman 
had gone to Washington via Wilmington, and 
hearing, as he could not fail to hear, the result 



of the assassination, he lost heart, rid himself 
of every thing of a suspicious nature, and fled. 

We will probably strike his trail again before 
our narrative closes. The following letter, 
dated at Buffalo, N. Y., is of no little interest, 
because it verifies in a degree what has already 
been stated. 

" Buffalo, N. Y., April iS, 1S65. 

" Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War, Wash- 
ington, D. C. : — My Dear Sir: — Business has 
called me to Toronto, C. W., several times within 
the past two months ; and while there, I have seen 
and heard some things which may be of service to 
the government. 

"About five weeks ago, I saw at the Queen's Hotel, 
Toronto, a letter written by the late John Y. Beale, 
just previous to his execution, which, after speaking 
of his mock trial, unjust sentence, the judicial mur- 
der that was to be perpetrated by his execution, etc., 
called upon Jacob Thompson to vindicate his char- 
acter before his countrymen of the South, and ex- 
pressed his belief that his death would bo speedily 
and terribly avenged. The letter itself was ad- 
dressed to Colonel J. Thompson, Confederate Com- 
missioner at Toronto, but the superscription on the 
envelope, which was in a difTerent handwriting read 
simply, J. Thompson, Toronto, Canada. This cir- 
cumstance caused it to be delivered to a Mr. Thomp- 
son for whom it was not intended. I was permitted 
to peruse, but not to copy, the letter. I was in- 
formed, at that time, that the friends of Beale were 
banded together for the double purpose of avenging 
his death, and aiding the rebel government. I 
have heard the same statement repeated many times 
since, and have been frequently told by citizens of 
Toronto that some great mischief was being plotted 
by refugees in Canada. For more than a month 
General Dix's name was mentioned in my hearing 
in connection with the threatened vengeance. Re- 
garding all such stories as idle tales, I never repeated 
them. Last Friday evening, while sitting in the 
office of the Queen's Hotel, I overheard a conversa- 
tion between some persons sitting near me, which 
convinced me that the plot to murder the President 
was known to them. The part)' was mourning over 
the late rebel reverses, commenting upon the execu- 
tion of Beale, the extradition of Bueley, etc., and 
then they cheered themselves after this fashion : 
"We'll make the damned Yankees how! yet." 
" Boys, I'll bet that we'll get better news in forty- 
eight hours." "We'll have something from Wash- 
ington that will make people stare." Their words 
at the time seemed to me to be simply vulgar and 
profane, and implying idle threats which could 
never be executed. The next morning (Saturday, 
April 15), when I heard of the assassination, I could 



ii8 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



not help feeling that the party were implicated in 
the act. On Saturday, I met two of them in com- 
pany with Ben Young, and one or two others of the 
St. Albans raiders, in the bar-room at the Oueen's. 
One said, " Good news for us this morning," and 
another, " Damn well done, but not enough of it." 
Raising their glasses, one said, " Here's to Andy 
Jolinson's turn next, to which another responded, 
" Yes, damn his soul." On relating this circum- 
stance to Hon. E. G. Spaulding and others, they 
were of the opinion that I should communicate them 
to your Department. For my own part, I beg to 
refer to Hon. Ira Harris, of the Senate, and Hon. 
John A. Griswold, of the House." 
" I am. my dear sir, very truly yours, 

G. C." 

Mr. C. is a respectable lawyer in this city, and his 
statements are entitled to credit. 

E. G. S. 

Buffalo, N. Y. 

The letter speaks for itself, and needs no 
comment. The only criticism to offer is not 
upon the letter, but upon the writer. Had 
he been possessed of the shrewdnesss which 
the average lawyer ought to possess, he would 
have written to the War Department long 
before. Written at the time it was, it only 
showed how great was the lack of detective 
ability which every great lawyer possesses in 
some degree. In the writer, it only verified 
the old adage about " locking the stable after 
the horse is stolen."' 

The next letter in evidence throws a ray of 
light on the trail of John Harrison Surratt, 
and also, from the description, of John A. 
Payne. It is from one of the many detectives 
which were sent into Canada on a lumt for 
the escaped conspirators. It is dated at 
Montreal on the 27th of April. Its great 
length precludes its insertion in full, but we 
give the salient portions; those relating directly 
to the subject in hand. Just here, it may be 
well to note that a prominent Englishman in 
Montreal, who, previous to the assassination of 
the President, was a strong sympathizer with 
the South, and was well acquainted with the 
Confederate agents in Canada, and fully in- 
formed of their plans and movements, said 
that the murder of the President was too much 
for him ; and he told Alderman Lyman, of 
that city, that the Southern agents had heard 
from the party who murdered the President, 



and that they expected him in Montreal within 
forty-eight hours; and if not the principal, 
one closely connected with the assassination. 
This information the agents received on the 
20th of April. The reader will bear the date 
in mind, as he reads the extracts from the 
detective's letter: 

" Montreal, April 27, 1S65. 
" Colonel L. C. Baker: 

" Dear Sir — While in Burlington (Vt.), I obtained 
a wliiie linen handkerchief, which was dropped in 
the Vermont Central Depot, on Thursday evening 
April 20, by one of three strange men who slept in 
the depot all Thursday night. These men came from 
the steainer Canada, Capt. Flagg. She was very late 
that evening, and did not connect with the train 
north, to Montreal, which leaves at 7 o'clock, p. m. 
They came into the depot between seven and a half 
and eight o'clock, after the night watchman went on 
duty. They had no baggage. They were all rather 
poorly dressed, and looked hard, worn out, and tired. 
The watchman asked them which way they were 
going; they said "to Montreal." When told that 
they could not go that night, they said that they knew 
it. He asked them if they wanted a hotel; they said 
no, that they were going to st.av in the depot. They 
did not secin to have much to say or do with each 
other. They curled up on seats in difterent parts of 
the room, and went to sleep, and remained quiet all 
night. The w.atchman awakened them about 4 
o'clock in the morning to take the train, which they 
did. After thej' left he picked up two dirty pocket 
h:indkerchiefs where ihcy had slept. While looking 
them over, he found the name of J. H. Surratt No. 2, 
on one of them. B. , the w.itchman, got his mother 
to wash the handkerchiefs, and on Saturday he went 
to the city, and told the circumstance of finding them. 
Detective G. C. got the handkerchief from B , and I 
got it from him. Enclosed you will find it. B. 
said that one of the men was tall and the others 
short. He identifies the likeness of Surratt, as being 
one of the men. I then found the conductor who 
ran the train to Essex Junction that inorning, and he 
too, fully identified Surratt's likeness as being one 
of the men. I next found C. T. Hobart, who runs 
the through train to St. Albans, Vermont. He gave 
a description of two men only who boarded his train 
at Essex Junction on Friday morning, April 21, at 
5.05 o'clock. One was a tall man, broad shoulders, 
otherwise slim, straight as an arrow, did not look 
like a laborer, though dressed rather poor; had on a 
loose sack coat, cassimere shirt, light colored pants, 
and a tight fitting skull cap. His hair was black as 
jet and straight; no beard; was young, not more than 
twenty-one or twenty two. The other man was not 
much over five feet, thick set, short neck, full face. 




A STURGEON CAUGHT IN THE ST. LAWRENCE. 



THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND. 



121 



sandy complexion, sandy cliin whiskers and no 
other beard, lie wore a soft blacl<-felt hat, dark- 
colored sack coat, light-colored pants, and a reddish- 
colored flannel shirt. He had but little to say; let 
the tall man do the talking. They both got ofT the 
train at St. Albans. He felt as if they were a pair of 
assassins, and in speaking to a friend about the 
matter, he gave vent to his suspicions. He fully 
identified Surratt's picture as that of the tall one, and 
said that he would know him anywhere. * * * 
There is no doubt that Surrail is in this province, 
together with some others, but whom I cannot tell. 
Enclosed I send you a likeness of one of the Paynes, 
of whom there are seven brothers, all Kenluckians. 
Three of them are said to be in South America, one 
is in jail at St. Albans, and the others are here un- 
less you have them with you. The picture is marked 
on the back. If of no use, please send it back to the 
owner. I am going out along that portion of Canada 
bordering on Maine, Vermont and New York. Many 
rebels are in there. Young Saunders and others are 
there now. Porterfield, a dangerous rebel, is mak- 
ing preparations to go to Nashville; ought not to be 
allowed. Trowbridge, anotner, has gone to De- 
troit. " Respectfully, etc., 

It was that very picture of " one of the 
Paynes," which fully revealed the identity of 
the man Wood, who attempted the assassina- 
tion of Secretary Seward. It was, in fact, his 
own portrait taken in Montreal, some time pre- 
vious to starting for Washington to report to 
John Wilkes Booth. The next communica- 
tion is addressed to Secretary Stanton. It 
was dated at Montreal on the 29th of April, 
1865. We append an extract or two : 

" Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War: 

"Dear Sir. — There is no doubt that J. H. Sur- 
ratt and John A. Payne were in the city yester- 
day, and that they left Last night in company with 
Clement C. Clay and others probably for Toronto. 
I am a private detective here, without authority to 
act for your government. I looked the city over for 
G., one of Baker's men, but found that he left for 
the border townships yesterday morning, so I failed 
to see him. * * * j ^rn not at all certain 
that they went to Toronto; it is only my opinion. 
They may have gone to Three Rivers, as there are a 
great many Southern refugees there, or to Tanner, 
where it is said that John A. Payne has heretofore 
spent a great deal of his time, together with three of 
his brothers. " Respectfully, etc., 

About this tiiTie a letter was received at 
Washington, post-marked Detroit, but written 



at Tanner, Canada, by one John P. H. Hall, 
of that place, and directed : " To Andrew 
Johnson, President of the United Slates, or 
other authority." Its contents are as follows : 

" With certainty I slate to you that John A. Payne, 
and thirteen others, are sworn to murder Andicw 
Johnson, E. M. Stanton, L. S. Fisher, and others, 
within thirty days from April 23d, 1865. The ar- 
rangements are all made and in progress toward 
execution. I do not know where John A. Payne is 
now. He was at Montreal when this plot was pro- 
jected. His brother (whose name I do not recollect) 
is iinplicated. Seven of the plotters are at Washing- 
ton, four at Bedford, Pennsylvania, and the thir- 
teenth is with Payne. These are plain facts. Do 
not reveal this, but arrest John A. Payne and his 
brother. I send this to Detroit to avoid suspicion. 
' Yours, etc.. 



The Montreal private detective was right in 
his opinion, at least so far as Clement C. Clay 
was concerned; because, among many other 
names registered at the Queen's Hotel, 
Toronto, on the evening of April 29, 1865, 
was that of C. C Clay. Whether Surratt and 
Payne were in his company remains to be 
seen. Jacob Thompson and Larry McDonald 
were already there. 

So far, the testimony as to the whereabouts 
of John H. Surratt is fairly complete. In the 
absence of direct and absolute proof, it may, 
at all events, be accepted as strong circum- 
stantial evidence. We now present yet another 
letter, written by a colored man, which, though 
anonyiTious, and as such not entitled to take 
rank as evidence, yet it harmonizes so well 
with what has been already learned that it 
seems worthy of some credence. At all 
events, it is here given place, and left to the 
judgment of the reader. 

The letter is postmarked " Niagara Falls," 
and is dated "Monday, May 2nd, 1865," 
and directed " To the Secretary of War, 
Washington, D. C. " The writer says : 

"I beg of you not to let any one see this letter. I 
dare not sign it for fear that my name may somehow 
come out. I send you my name and business on a 
separate paper so that you may judge whether I 
have an opportunity to learn what I tell you. Be 
sure to destroy it. I send this to be mailed at 
Niagara Falls, because a letter directed to you and 



T22 



A SOUVF.MR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



dropped into this post-office, would be read by Jake 
Tliompson before it was sent out, if it was ever sent 
at all. What I want you to know is that there is an 
awful nest of rebels here at this time. Cl.iy, Surratt 
and John A. Payne are here. They came Saturday 
with a lot of others. Surratt and Payne skipped out 
last niglit and now- there is the very devil to pay. 
It seems that Surratt was the treasurer of some 
society that was hired to murder President Lincoln 
and a lot of others, and that Jake Thompson took 
the gold out of the bank here and paid it over to him 
and Payne, and that they were to divide it among 
the others : but they skipped out and now they can't 
tind hide nor hair of them. I wouldn't like to be in 
their shoes if the gang gets them, and they are going 
in pursuit. They are plotting now to murder a lot 
more in revenge for the killing of Booth, and if 
Payne and the rest are hung they say that they will 
burn Washington. You can't tell how much I hear, 
and of course I don't hear it all, as I am only in the 
room when I take liquor to them, which is pretty 
often though, but one of the girls hears heaps and 
tells me all about it. Anyway, you folks in Wash- 
ington ought to look out. I hope you will catch 
and hang every one of them, especiallj' Jake Thomp- 
son. I hate him. That is all I can write now. 



But little more remains to be said, and that 
is scarcely more than conjecture. This much 
is positively known. A sharp lookout for J. 
H. Surratt and John A. Payne, was kept at 
St. Catharines, Canada, for some time. That 
city \vas a great place of resort for Southern 
rebels, among whose citizens they found a 
welcome, especially among a certain class. 
Then, too. Col. Beverly Robinson, of Vir- 
ginia, was the proprietor of a fashionable 
hotel there, which became a noted resort for 
Southerners and Southern sytnpathizers, and 
where rebellion against the Government of 
the United States was as openly discussed as 
it ever was in Charleston, South Carolina, 
where it originated. But the rebellion went 
down with a crash and so did Beverly Robin- 
son's hotel business, to the sorrow of several 
capitalists of St. Catharines, whose only se- 
curity for heavy loans was a life insurance 
policy, and the " honah, sah," of Col. Beverly 
Robinson, one of Virginia's F. F. V.'s, on 
neither of which as late as 1881, had they 
ever realized a cent. Whether the indebted- 
ness has since been canceled, this deponent 
saith not. 



But John H. Surratt and Jolin A. Payne 
were too shrewd to visit St. Catharines. The 
former made his way to Three Rivers, Que- 
bec, where he was protected for a time by 
Father Boucher, a Catiiolic priest. He went 
thence to Italy, enlisted in the Papal Zouaves, 
was exposed by another Papal soldier by the 
name of Massie, extradited, tried and ac- 
quitted in Washington in 1868, and now lives 
in Baltimore. A man bearing the description 
of John A. Payne, was seen in the vicinity of 
Siiarbot and Rideau lakes, Ont., and at 
Smith's Falls during the latter part of May, 
1865, and shortly afterward at Gananociue, 
where he stayed for a day or two, and then 
settling his hotel bill, in payment of which 
he offered a gold piece of English coinage, 
he left, no one knew whither. Was it John 
A. Payne who made his appearance at 
Fisher's Landing .? The description and 
the time tally well. It may with some show 
of reason be asked: If he wanted to hide 
himself effectually among the islands, why did 
he not choose some spot among the myriad 
islands of the Admiralty group near Ganano- 
que, or in the Navy group below.? Evidently 
he was a shrewd observer. He well knew that 
the defrauded Brotherhood would hunt him 
to the death, but he also knew that they would 
be unlikely to venture to the American side 
of the St. Lawrence; while they would search 
every island in the Canadian Channel. He 
knew, too, that Baker's government detectives, 
would never think of looking for him on the 
United States side of the line. Besides, had 
he located in either of the island groups men- 
tioned, the Admiralty, for instance, his sup- 
plies would necessarily be drawn from Gan- 
anoque, a dangerous point for him to visit. If 
in the Navy group, it was not easy to procure 
needed supplies, without travelling some dist- 
ance. Then, too, the main channels of steam- 
boat travel at that time, especially fortlie Can- 
adian steamers, passed through those groups. 
Locating where he did — if indeed it was 
him, showed great shrewdness. Maple Island 
is at some distance from any of the regular 
lines of steatnboat travel, and from any of the 
channels taken by excursion steamers, which, 



THE MYSTERY OF MAPLE ISLAND. 



123 



at that time, were few and far between ; and 
while the island is by no means hidden, that 
fact of itself was an element of safety; because 
no one would think of searching an island so 
open to the view of every one. That a party 
of five or six men made their appearance in 
Gananoque in the month of August, 1865, 
making inquiries about a man who answered 
the description of John A. Payne, already 
given, is a fact that may be easily substantiated. 
They affirmed that they all belonged to a 
party of workmen who had been employed 



that the fateful sign of the liirce crosses was 
cut upon the breast of the murdered hermit. 
That of itself is almost positive evidence that 
he met his doom at the hands of the Brother- 
hood, and that not robbery only, but revenge, 
was a prime factor in the assassination. 

Scores of instances can be produced where 
the bodies of those who fell victims to the 
relentless oaths of the secret Brotherhoods of 
the South during the rebellion were marked 
in like manner. Even the " Ku Klux Klans " 
of 1866, 'O7 and '68, during the reconstruction 




"LITTLE FRAUD," BELOW KAIRY LAND. 



near Montreal, and that the man for whom 
they were looking drew the pay for them, and 
then ran away. They had followed him to 
Smith's Falls, and from there could get no 
further trace of him. 

There is some significance, too, in the fact 
that after the burning of the cabin on Maple 
Island, nothing more was seen of the jjarty of 
supposed Southerners, who had for some days 
previous sojourned at the Hubbard and Walton 
Houses in Clayton. 

But of yet greater significance is the fact 



period, left in many instances the same bloody 
sign upon the breasts of their murdered 
victims. 

Reader, the testimony is all in ; whatever 
may be its value as evidence, it is wholly a 
matter of record, accessible to those who care 
to investigate. The writer has sought far and 
wide for additional proofs, but they could not 
be found by him ; and now the judgment 
remains with you ; for with this paragraph, he 
submits for your decision The Mystery of 
Maple Island. 



OLD FORT FRONTENAC AND MODERN KINGSTON. 



IJ^K\ORE than two centuries ago, the abo- 
l^'^l riginal dwellers along the River St. 
Lawrence, and on the islands which form its 
wondrous archipelagoes, witnessed a display 
never before seen on the inland waters of the 
great western continent. First came an ad- 
vanced guard of canoes, disposed in four lines, 
followed by two large bateaux, gay with flags 
and banners; then other lines of canoes bring- 
ing up the rear — the whole constituting a 
flotilla of 120 boats, conveying a force of 
French troops, 400 or more, under the com- 
mand of Louis de Buade, Count de Frontenac, 
whose mission was to establish the first military 
post of any note above Montreal at the place 
called by the Iroquois " Kataroquoi," which, 
interpreted, means : "A land of many lakes; " 
— the Kingston of to-day. 

The flotilla was met by a deputation of the 
oldest and most influential chiefs of the great 
confederation of the Five Nations, who saluted 
the Admiral, according to the journal of Count 
de Frontenac, " with evidence of much joy and 
confidence;" and was by them guided into 
" one of the most beautiful and agreeable 
harbors in the world, capable of holding 100 
of the largest ships," into which from the north 
flows the waters of the Cataraqui, from the 
west and southwest those of that most beauti- 
ful of bays the Bay of Quinte, and rounding 
in from the south the waters of Lake Ontario. 

With bugle-call and beat of drum, and with 
salvos of artillery, banners waving, and all the 
" pomp and circumstance " of military display, 
the flotilla landed on the point now occupied 
by the Tete du Pont Barracks. Two years 
previous, M. de Courcelles had selected this 
spot as a suitable site for a fort, the lines for 
which, under his direction, were marked out 



by M. de Talon. On July 1-5, 1673, a grand 
council, consisting of the Iroquois deputation 
on one side and Count Frontenac and the 
French officers on the other, assembled at the 
tent of the Admiral. The pipe of peace 
was smoked, and Garakontie, a distinguished 
chief, opened the council with a speech in 
which he expressed the utmost respect for the 
Great Father Onnontio. Count Frontenac 
answered in a speech expressing great pleasure 
at meeting his Indian children, and after a 
distribution of presents to all, men, women 
and children, the council was broken up, only 
to be repeated a few days later with another 
still more formal and elaborate. 

While tlie Count was amusing his aboriginal 
friends, work on the fort was pushed with the 
greatest vigor. The ground was cleared, 
trenches dug, palisades set, and the keel of a 
vessel laid, which, when completed, would 
give him the command of Lake Ontario. The 
command of the fort was given to M. de la 
Salle, to whose comprehensive schemes it 
owed its existence. Charlevoix explains the 
object of its erection. He says: " There 
was formerly a great trade here, especially 
with the Iroquois, and it was to entice them 
to us, as well as to hinder their carrying their 
skins to the English and to keep these savages 
in awe, that the fort was built." But not even 
Charlevoix had comprehended the wider plans 
of La Salle. Born of a wealthy burgher of 
Rouen, La Salle came to Canada when twenty- 
two years of age, filled with the dream of reach- 
ing China by way of the Ottawa river. He 
was endowed with great firmness and persever- 
ance, and was eager to distinguish himself in 
the ranks of the great discoverers. Having 
read Joliet's report of the great river, the 



OLD FORT FRONTENAC AND MO PER X KINGSTON. 



127 



Mississippi, to taice possession of the vast 
region soi:tii of the great lakes, wliich is 
watered by its coiiHuents, became tlie dream 
of his life and the summit of his ambition. 
To this end, Fort Frontenac was the first step, 
the next was Niagara. But Fort Frontenac 
must first be completed. In 1674, he secured 
a grant of the fort, a large tract of the sur- 
rounding country and the adjacent islands. 
The original fort was enlarged and enclosed 
with ramparts and bastions of stone, and con- 
tained, in addition to a range of barracks and 
officers' quarters, a well, a mill, a bakery and 
a forge. Where now stands the oldest portion 
of Kingston, a village of French colonists grew 
up. A village of Iroquois, and the chapel and 
Presbytery of the RecoUet Friars were near by. 
Here was a little Kingdom over which La 
Salle reigned supreme; and had not 

" His vaulting ambiiion o'er leaped itself," 

he might have made of Kingston a place of 
great importance, scarcely second to Montreal. 
But to the west and south, against the stub- 
born resistance of both Jesuit Fathers and 
Canadian traders, he was determined to ]^ush 
his way. Building a vessel at Frontenac, he 
sailed to Niagara, and there established a 
'■' palisadoed fort," built and launched a 
vessel on Lake Erie, which was lost with her 
first cargo of furs, and finally after encounter- 
ing and overcoming obstacles that would have 
deterred a less determined man, he sailed 
down the Father of waters to the Gulf of 
Mexico, and finally perished through the 
treachery of a follower. All this is but a part 
of the history of the New France. 

The infamous Denonville, who succeeded 
La Salle in command of Fort Frontenac, by 
his imprisonment and transportation to France 
of several Iroquois chiefs, where they died in 
confinement condeinned to the galleys, brought 
about a terrible retribution, which culminated 
in the massacre of the innocent inhabitants of 
Lachine, the desolation of the country around 
Cataraqui, and the destruction of the fort, 
which was demolished by the Indians. On 
his recall to the [)lace, Count de Frontenac 
found the country devastated, and smoking 



ruins in the place of [)rospcrous villages ; and, 
what was more portentous, a dim war-cloud 
was rising upon the horizon line between the 
New F'rance and the New England, which 
boded evil days in the near future. This 
spurred him on to rebuild the fort, which he 
did at once. 

But despite his forebodings, a half century 
of tranquility followed, and so little did the 
country progress, that after Count Frontenac's 
death in 1698, the fort and settlement at 
Cataraqui were almost completely lost sight of, 
and yet his fears were prophetic ; for France 
was soon to lose her possessions in the New 
World, and after Quebec, Fort Frontenac was 
to feel the force of the blow, directed by Gen. 
James Abercrombie, and delivered by Col. 
John Bradstreet on August 25, 1758. 

The garrison of the fort had been withdrawn 
to protect another point, leaving only seventy 
men under the command of a gallant officer, 
M. de Noyan. Bradstreet erected a battery 
where the market-place now is, and soon com- 
pelled the garrison to capitulate, but on such 
terms as brave men are entitled to. What 
was of yet greater importance to the English, 
the surrender of the fort included the French 
navy on Lake Ontario, consisting of twenty- 
two vessels, eighty pieces of artillery, and a 
large quantity of small arms and ammunition. 

In the beginning of the Kingston of to-day, 
traces of the old fort and of the breast-works 
erected by Col. Bradstreet were visible for 
many years. In fact a bastion of the old fort 
is yet traceable on the parade of the Tete du 
Pont Barracks. For many years a few French 
and Indian families loitered in the vicinity, 
but it was not until the coming of the U. E. 
Loyalists at the close of the War of the Revo- 
lution, that the place sprang into notice. 
During that war, all the military and naval 
operations were transferred to Carlton Island, 
in the south channel of the St. Lawrence river, 
where, in 1778, a strong fort was erected by 
order of Gen. Sir Frederick Haldiniand, after 
whom it was named. 

The first little band of loyalist refugees were 
guided to this point by Ca])tain Grass, who 
had once been a prisoner in Fort Frontenac. 



128 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. L.UVRENCE RH'ER. 



Coming from New York by way of the St. 
Lawrence, they left their families at Sorel, re- 
turning there to winter, and in the spring took 
up their grants at Cataraqui, came up the river 
with their families in bateaux, and taking pos- 
session, a second band of '" Pilgrim Fathers," 
seeking a sanctuary because of persecution, 
and founding at once a nation and a party. 

As in all new settlements, for many years 
life was exceedingly primitive; a mortar and 
pestle was their mill, and not unfrequently 
was a farm sacrificed in order to live. So 
great became the needs of the infant settlement 
that 1788 was long remembered as the " famine 
year," because of the terrible drouth, which 
almost entirely destroyed the crops, and re- 
duced the people to the verge of starvation. 

With all its drawbacks, Kingston became a 
place of consequence ; trade increased, the 
building of a grist-mill on the Cataraqui river 
was a material help, exports of home-raised 
products increased, the settlers began to re- 
place their home-made fabrics with clothes of 
foreign manufacture, shops increased, so that 
what is now known as Princess street, the 
principal street of the city, was then called 
"Store street." 

It was not until 1812, however, that Kings- 
ton came prominently into notice ; but as the 
principal Canadian port on Lake Ontario and 
at the head of the St. Lawrence river, with a 
magnificent harbor, and so situated that it 
became an easy post of observation on Sackets 
Harbor, an important post of the United 
States, it could not be neglected ; but on the 
contrary it sprang into importance at a bound. 
A government dock yard occupied the grounds 
where the Royal Military College buildings 
stand, while the bay between that and the 
slope of the present Fort Henry, was the 
mooring ground for vessels of war. During 
this war, the original Fort Henry was begun, 
a series of block houses were erected, which, 
connected by long stockades, were deemed 
sufficient for the defense of the city. Later a 
chain of massive Martello towers and stone 
walls took the place of the log block houses 
and stockades. The tall towers, with their 
conical red caps, look well as we approach 



Kingston by steamer, while the modern Fort 
Henry, which was not erected until more than 
twenty years after the war of 181 2-1 5, looks 
down upon us from the summit of the hill with 
a sort of grim defiance, more the result of 
decay than of strength. Fort Frederick, an 
earth work in front of the Military College, is 
really a strong point in the defenses of Kings- 
ton. As for the rest, they can scarcely be 

excelled as a show ; in which their 

greatest rival on this continent is the system 
of fortifications which defend the entrance to 
the Bay of San Francisco. 

For many years Kingston has been especi- 
ally eminent as an educational point. In 1786, 
Dr. Stuart, the first clergyman and the first 
teacher in Ujiper Canada established a 
"Grammar School," and in 1805 the schools 
of Kingston had attained such prominence 
that Rochefoucauld deemed them worthy of a 
somewhat extended notice in his memoirs. In 
1840 the University of Queen's College was 
founded, and its growth has been that of 
Canada, and its record of v/ork done, a noble 
one. Its hopes for the future are bright. 

The Royal Military College, the '' \Vest 
Point of Canada," is treated at length in an- 
other chai)ter; but, in addition to Queen's 
University, with its Departments of Arts, 
Science, Law and Divinity, there are the 
Women's Medical College, and the Royal 
College of Physicians and Surgeons, both of 
which are affiliated to the Queen's University. 
The Collegiate Institute consists of the two 
older High Schools, among whose graduates 
have been Premiers of the Province and of 
the Dominion. 

Kingston at one time narrowly escaped be- 
ing the capital of Upper Canada. In fact it 
was here that Lieut. -Governor Simcoe was 
sworn into office, in an old wooden church 
which fronted the market place, — his first 
Cabinet chosen and writs issued to convene 
the Legislature, The new Legislature met 
once at Niagara, and then adjourned to York, 
now Toronto, which place, as a matter of 
fact, had been already decided upon as the 
future capital of the Upper Province. The 
" Old Borough " of Niagara has always been 



y 




OLD FORT FRONTENAC AND MODERN KINGSTON. 



131 



excessively proud of the fact that it was for a 
time the capital of Upper Canada; but as be- 
tween it and Kingston, honors are fairly 
easy. In 1840-44, however, Kingston be- 
came the seat of government of the United 
Provinces, until its removal to Ottawa. 

Back of Kingston is a most unpromising 
region of country so far as looks is concerned, 
though rich in minerals, chiefly iron, lead and 
phosphates, which the Kingston and Pem- 
broke Railway has opened up and made 
tributary to Kingston, thereby increasing 
the prosperity of the place more than any 
other road has done; and whenever all this 
rich mineral country is fully developed, 
Kingston will become a city of far greater 
importance than the most sanguine of her 
citizens have yet dreamed of. 

Among the latest improvements in King- 
ston, is the Electric Street Railway, than 
which no other city can boast a better. Com- 
pact and complete, with a service in every 
way satisfactory, with elegantly equipped cars 
supplied with the very latest electrical appli- 
ances, finely furnished, heated and lighted by 
electricity in the winter and furnished with 
elegant observation cars in summer, it is one 
of Kingston's most enjoyable attractions. 

Forming a belt line, which completely en- 
circles the city, it branches out to the out- 
lying town of Portsmouth, to the Kingston 
Penitentiary, to Rockwood Insane Asylum, 
and to the beautiful and popular grounds of 
Lake Ontario Park, whose shaded shores 
sloping away to the lake, afford an enchant- 
ing view of Old Ontario and the river St. 
Lawrence, interspersed with island gems, a 
scene of surpassing loveliness. A separate 
branch of the road runs to the historic Cata- 
raqui Cemetery, the chosen resting place of 
many of Canada's cherished dead ; men 
prominent in her affairs, who made her his- 
tory glorious, whose memories will ever 
remain green in the hearts and homes of her 
people, and to whose tombs a visit is but a 
brief pilgrimage, — of patriotism to the citizen, 
of admiration and respect, to the visitor ; be- 
cause true greatness and worth have no 
nationality. 



Starting at the foot of Brock street, near 
tlie landing of the steamers of the Thousand 
Island and St. Lawrence River Steamboat 
Companies, the Electric Belt Line runs along 
Ontario street, past the Town Hall and City 
Buildings, the Kingston and Pembroke Rail- 
way Station, the Hotel Frontenac and the 
station of the Grand Trunk Railway, up 
William street to Kirg, and thence along 
King, the street of residences, past many of 
the finest homes of Kingston's citizens, past 
the great buildings of the Merchant's Bank, 
and of the Bank of Montreal, along the south- 
ern edge of the City Park to McDonald 
Park with its formidable guns and Murney 
Tower Fort. 

Here the line turns to the right on Barrie 
street and runs along the west side of the City 
Park, beneath a magnificent arch of grand old 
elms, a beautiful avenue graced with many 
elegant homes. Turning on Union street 
comes the Cricket Field, the sporting grounds 
of Kingston's athletes; and next the Court 
House and County Prison, botli large and im- 
posing stractures. Ne.xt we have views of the 
Government Drill Shed, the Skating and Curl- 
ing Rinks, the Queen's College, the Infant's 
Home, the Kingston City Hospital, and several 
beautiful countrv residences belonging to 
English families, surrounded by elegant 
grounds and extensive lawns, and then we 
arrive at the junction at the corner of Alfred 
and Union streets. From this ])oint we may 
continue out Union street, visiting the Peni- 
tentiary, Portsmouth, the Insane Asylum, or 
Lake Ontario Park, above referred to. To 
inspect the Penitentiary or Rockwood Asylum, 
permission may be obtained on application to 
the warden, and visitors will find both very 
interesting. 

To make this side trip, we change cars at 
Alfred street. Returning to that point, we 
again change to the Belt Line, and proceed to 
swing around the grand circle. First come 
the buildings and grounds of Victoria School 
and the Collegiate Institute, and also Victoria 
Park, and the next turn brings us to the junc- 
tion on Princess street, the business and com- 
mercial street of the city, gorgeous in display 



132 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



and a veritable hive of trade and traffic. At 
the junction on Princess street, we may change 
cars for Cataraqui Cemetery, and in a few 
minutes exchange the busy hum of the city 
for a scene of rural quiet. Continuing down 
Princess street, however, in addition to the 
great mercantile houses of the city, we see the 
imposing buildings of the Young Men's Chris- 
tian Association, St Andrew's Church, Kings- 
ton Business College, the Opera House, and 
pass within a block of the great Catholic 
Cathedral. Turning again from Princess to 
King, and from King to Brock, we pass down 
Brock, past the Market Square, having swung 
around the entire circle in forty minutes — 
that is to say, the Belt Line proper, leaving 
the branch excursions out of the question. 
In that time we have seen the largest part 
and the most interesting objects of interest in 
this old historic city, excepting, of course, the 
trips to Portsmouth, the Penitentiary, the 
Asylum and Ontario Park, and to Cataraqui 
Cemetery. These taken, will add to the 
time, but are well worth the expenditure of 
both time and money. During the summer 
months, the Beit-Line cars run every five 
minutes, reducing the time of waiting to a 
minimum. Passengers may, if they choose, 
reverse the order of tlie trip, and swing 
around the circle in the opposite direction. 
Should such be the case, then must our brief 
description also be read in reverse order. 
In any case, we have arrived at our starting 



point, near the steamer landing, and if an ex- 
cursionist, we may go on board at our leisure. 
There are few finer views to be had than 
from the deck of the Empire State, as she 
swings avvav from her wharf on a pleasant 
morning for a run down among the Thousand 
Islands. The sun, rising in all its splendor, 
gilds the highlands of Wolfe Island, and lights 
up the broad expanse of Lake Ontario, that 
stretches away to the western horizon, which 
stoops to bathe itself in its limpid waters. 
Simcoe and Garden Islands are sharply de- 
fined, Batteau Channel looks like a wide canal 
cut through solid limestone; away beyond the 
long bridge is the winding Cataraqui, and 
then the eye catches the tower of Barriefield 
Church, and sweeps along the ridge until it 
rests on Fort Henry, with the Military Col- 
lege and Fort Frederick at its base. On the 
other hand the eye catches the city buildings 
in tjie foreground, and then spire and dome 
and tower follow in succession, until the 
buildings of Rockwood Asylum appear in the 
distance, and the beautiful Bay Quinte coyly 
permits a charm to be seen, and as quickly 
hides it from view. Swinging past Cedar 
Island with its picturesque Martello tower, 
we enter the broad channel and speed away 
down the river, leaving behind us a scene 
long to be remembered — and one of the most 
ancient, honorable and historic of all the 
cities of Canada — a grand country, larger iri 
area than the whole United States. 



H. WALTER WEBB. 



Some writer for a New York newspaper, 
under date of August i8, 1894, lets himself 
loose in the following style: 

" While Dr. Chauncey M. Depew is divid- 
ing his time in Europe between talking horse 
and diplomacy with Lord Roseberry, Rhine 
wine and yachts with the German Kaiser and 
anarchy and politics with President Casimir- 
Perier, of France, his job, as the president of 
the New York Central Railroad and authority 
on almost everything pertaining to railroads. 



is being held down by a young man who is 
not so well known as he, but who is thought 
by men who know, to be an altogether better 
president of railroads than the talented Dr. 
Depew. Dr. Depew's ' sub ' is about twenty- 
five years younger than himself, and he can 
probably outrun and outbox his superior and 
do a lot of things that the doctor's stiffened 
joints would not possibly permit him to under- 
take. He is very much quieter than the doc- 
tor, and while he may not have as many 



^y^T^aaa ifag- ' 




//. WALTER WEim. 



■35 



friends, tliosc who talk witli him every day 
say that he can give his chief points in the 
line of ' hustling.' Although he was not al- 
together unknown four years ago, it was not 
until then that his genius as a railroad mana- 
ger brought him prommently before the 
public. Mr. Depew was then, as now, in 
Europe hobnobbing with the big guns over 
there, while Cornelius Vanderbilt, who owns 
most of the New York Central Road and who 
hires Mr. Depew at a fancy salary, was some- 
where in Africa." 

This screed reads well, and desiring to know 
more of this man who has proven himself able 
to " hold down " the great Chauncey's seat, 
we have taken some pains to make inquiries 
about him. We are told that in the spring of 
1890 the directors of the New York Central 
Railroad determined to make some changes in 
the organization — -changes which involved 
promotion of some of the abler officers of the 
road. Among other things which they voted 
to do was the creation of a new department, 
the head of which was to be elected third vice- 
[iresident of the system, and to have su[)reme 
direction of the traffic of the road, both pass- 
enger and freight. He was to be held, in 
short, responsible for the management of such 
business as was offered to the company. The 
choice for tliis responsible office fell upon 
H. Walter Webb, and only a few weeks later 
this young man found himself face to face 
with a strike which was more threatening than 
any that had occurred upon the road, perhaps 
in its e.\istence, certainly since the great strike 
year of 1877. 

Two years later Vice-President Webb was 
called to face another emergency of the same 
sort, and these two experiences fi.xed attention 
upon him as one of the great railway managers 
of the United States. Men who do not know 
Major Webb are asking one another something 
about his personality and his intellectual 
qualities, as the generalship he displays not 
only in strike crises, but in those more silent 
but in some respects equally desperate battles 
which railroad companies as competitors of 
other railroad companies are constantly fight- 
ing. 



In New York Major Webb is well known, but 
elsewhere, although he has gained wide repute, 
there is little knowledge of the manner of man 
he is. The story of liis career contains much 
that is instructive and interesting. 

Major Webb is one of the sons of that dis- 
tinguished politician and editor of the time 
when the Whig party was fighting its battles, 
Gen. James Watson Webb. Great as were 
Gen. Webb's achievements in the political 
world, when he came to old age he took greater 
pride in the promise which was already begin- 
ning to be fulfilled, of raising a family of boys 
who would gain distinction, perhaps, equal to 
that which was gained by the famous Field, or 
Washburn, or Wolcott families. 

Walter Webb, in his youth, showed some 
taste for engineering, and he was placed in 
the Columbia College School of Mines, which 
is the scientific department of that institution, 
and was at the head of his class some twenty 
years ago. After graduation, however, young 
Webb felt some inclination toward a career at 
the bar. He gratified it to the extent of study- 
ing, being admitted, and hanging out his 
shingle for a brief time. His legal education 
was of value to him, though only in other 
achievements toward which he began to drift 
soon after he opened his office. An opportu- 
nity was presented for him to go into the bank- 
ing and brokerage business, and for some years 
he was busy in studying the mysteries of Wall 
street, and in learning the market value of 
the securities there dealt in. 

Almost incidentally he drifted into the rail- 
way business. His brother. Dr. .Seward 
Webb, who married one of the daughters of 
William H. Vanderbilt, became interested in 
the Palace Car Company which the Vander- 
bilts controlled, and when Webster Wagner, 
the president of that company, met his sud- 
den death, having been crushed between two 
of his own cars in a railway collision. Dr. 
Webb became president of the company, and 
invited his brother to accept an official post 
in connection with it. Walter Webb had 
not been in tlie railway business a month be- 
fore both he and his employers discovered 
that he had peculiar qualifications for this 



A SO('l'J£X/K OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



business. It seemed to fascinate him. He 
was no pompous official, fond of sitting in 
richly carpeted rooms and issuing orders with 
heavy dignity. He was everywhere. He 
studied the science of railway car building; 
he skirmished around among the shops; he 
was not afraid of dirt, nor of putting on a 
jumper and a pair of overalls, if necessary, 
and as a consequence he soon had not only 
mastered those duties he was employed to 
perform, but being full of suggestions and 
devoted to his avocation, he was rapidly pro- 
moted. He served, while an officer, really 
an apprenticeship, working harder than any 
other employe, never thinking about hours 
or salary, but only bent on learning the 
business. 

In the railway business such a person moves 
rapidly toward the top. The history of rail- 
way corporations in the United States fur- 
nishes many such instances. Social influence, 
political pulls, as they are called, family pres- 
tige, count for nothing in the development of 
railway men. Nothing but fidelity and capa- 
city have any influence with directors in the 
selection of executive officers. Any other 
course would be perilous. 

Therefore, when the time came for this cor- 
poration, one of the greatest in the world in 
railway management, to place a competent 
man at the head of its traffic business. Major 
Webb was selected, and so thoroughly has he 
justified that choice that at the time when 
President Chauncey M. Depew was consider- 
ing the invitation of President Harrison to 
become the successor of Mr. Blaine, as Secre- 
tary of State, it was understood in railway 
circles that Major Webb would be chosen pre- 
sident of the New York Central, in case Depew 
resigned that office. 

Chief among Major Webb's qualifications 
for this work is his devotion to business. His 
college training as an engineer has served him 
well, and his legal knowledge has been of great 
value to him in the two great emergencies 
which he was called of a sudden to face, when 
many of the employes of the road went out on 
strike. He lives not five minutes' walk from 
his office, and he is frequently there as early 



as 7 o'clock in the morning. In the summer, 
when he is at his country place, he takes the 
first train into the city, while the bankers and 
brokers and professional men who live near 
him, do not follow until two or three hours later. 
He rarely leaves his office before 6 o'clock, and 
sometimes is there until late at night. His 
office is a place of comfort, but not of lux- 
ury. Major Webb is democratic in his rela- 
tions with men, and none of the red tape 
which prevails in some of the great corpora- 
tion offices annoys visitors who desire to see 
him. If a delegation from the engineers or 
switchmen, or from any of the other employes 
call, Major Webb receives tliem in a manner 
which does not lower their self-respect. There 
is neither condescension nor haughtiness in 
his relations with them. Major Webb will 
receive hard-handed employes, and within an 
hour be in association with a group of million- 
aires, fellow-directors of his in the great bank 
which is located near his office, and his man- 
ner is the same in each case. He treats every- 
body in a business-like way. He is quick- 
spoken, prompt, decisive, without being curt 
or brusque. 

As a railroad man, he is what is called a 
flyer. Like William H. Vanderbilt, he is fond 
of going fast, and when business calls him to 
a remote point, lie will order a locomotive 
attached to his special car, and within half an 
hour after the decision is taken, will be flying 
over the rails at the rate of a mile a minute. 
He is absolutely fearless in his travels, as 
William H. Vanderbilt was. Business men 
may see him in the afternoon of one day, and 
hear of him the next morning at Buffalo, 450 
miles away. This does not indicate restless- 
ness, but energy. Major Webb is one of the 
most quiet, self-contained and serene-man- 
nered of all our railway managers. 

When, just after he became vice-president, 
he was called upon to face a most dangerous 
strike, railway men said that he had been 
put to the test too early, and some of them 
feared that he would not be equal to the 
responsibility. Depew was in Europe. Cor- 
nelius Vanderbilt in Newport, and members 
of the executive board scattered here and 




IR. H. WALTER WEBB, 



3,i rice Prcsittciit N y C. &-• H. R R. R. 



H. WALTER WEBB. 



m 



there. Major Webb immediately made of his 
office a campaign-place. He collected his 
staff about him. The strikers had control of 
the approaches to New York city, and traffic 
was paralyzed. He first took pains to dis- 
cover how many of the men were out, and 
also to learn what their precise grievance 
was. If it was a question of time or wages 
or any other thing over which there had been 
misunderstanding or business disagreement, 
he believed that the trouble could be speed- 
ily settled. He found, instead, that it was a 
matter of discipline, that the men protested 
against certain rules which the subordinate 
officers had found necessary, as they believed, 
in order to maintain discipline. The strikers 
objected to the discharge of certain men who 
were reported disobedient or incompetent, 
and when Major Webb heard this, he said, in 
a quiet way, to his staff : " This is a point 
this company cannot yield. The stockholders 
must retain the right to manage, in their own 
way, this property." 

Then he called -upon his resources. He 
sent agents to procure men to take the places 
of the strikers. He called upon the police 
force of New York for protection, and got 
it. Night and day for' seventy-two hours he 
left his office for only a few moments at a 
time. He caught catnaps, and two nights 
did not sleep a wink. And, when the rail- 
way men connected with other lines found 
out what he was doing, they said : " There 
is a young general in command at the Grand 
Central Station." 

In his conferences with leaders of labor 
associations. Major AVebb's legal knowledge 
was of great service to him, and Mr. Powderly 
himself, who met him in conference several 
times, was greatly impressed by his tact, cool- 
ness, good temper, and his firmness as well. 

When Mr. Depew returned from Europe, 
not a sign of the strike appeared. Cornelius 
Vanderbilt, constantly informed over the wire 
at his Newport home of what was going on, 
deemed it unnecessary to come to the city. 

At the first mutterings of the strike in Buf- 
falo, information of which was sent to Major 
Webb by telegraph, he touched his electric bell, 



the messenger who answered received an order 
which was taken to the proper authority, and 
within half an hour Major Webb was aboard 
his private car, speeding over the tracks at the 
rate of fifty miles an hour; and before dawn 
next morning he was in Buffalo. His part in 
that convulsion is a matter of recent history, 
and unnecessary to describe here. 

In physical appearance, as his photogravure 
picture shows. Major Webb does not at all 
suggest the typical railway manager. He is of 
slight figure, medium stature, erect in carriage. 
He cares nothing for social pleasures of the 
fashionable set. His home and his office are 
his life. He is not a club man. He takes no 
conspicuous part in politics, although he has 
strong political views ; but it is safe to say that 
not a dozen men employed by his com- 
pany know whether he is a Republican or 
a Democrat. He is a strong churchman, 
being a vestryman, and one of the most 
active members of one of the New York 
uptown Episcopal churches; and if the 
millionaires contributed sums proportionate 
to their wealth as great as those he gives 
for church work, his church would have an 
enormous income. Major Webb is a great 
believer in the future possibilities of fast rail- 
way travel. He has studied this development 
with great care, and with such results that he 
is now running daily the fastest railway train 
in the world, making nearly a mile a minute 
consecutively for 450 miles. His experiments 
have shown that the old idea that very fast 
traveling does not pay, is an error, but he says 
that in order to make it pay, the cars must be 
light but strong, the service sufficient but not 
luxurious, and the carrying capacity limited, 
so that an engine will not be compelled to 
draw too heavy a train. 

Chauncey M. Depew has the reputation of 
being the most accessible to newspaper men 
of all the distinguished men in New York, yet 
he is not more so than Major Webb. Any 
respectable newspaper man is welcome to his 
office at all times, and he treats such callers 
as though they were men, and like one who 
respects their calling. Tlie reporter has yet to 
be found who has got of Major Webb a sug- 



i>8 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



gestion that a puff or a bit of praise would be 
pleasing. He will not talk about himself, but 
will cheerfully give all the news which he has, 
provided it is consistent with the policy of the 
road to make publication of it. If it is not 
consistent, he says frankly : " That is some- 
thing I cannot talk to you about just now. 
Perhaps I may be able to do so to-morrow." 

Perhaps this disposition is partly due to his 
recollection of the fact that his father was a 
newspaper man who always treated the hum- 
blest of reporters with great respect. At the 
time Gen. Webb was approaching death, and 
the various newspapers of New York sent re- 
porters to his home, so that immediate infor- 
mation of his death might be obtained, Gen. 
Webb used to say to his sons: "Are you tak- 
ing good care of the newspaper men? If any 
of them have to wait long, show them some 
hospitality. Give them a glass of Madeira 
and a sandwich or biscuit, and do not forget 
that the newspaper reporters as a class are 
hard-working, fair-minded, intelligent men, 
who should be treated exactly as any other 
business man is, who comes to you on business 
matters." AVhether this injunction accounts 
for the treatment the Major and his brothers 
give newspaper men or not, the fact remains 
that they all are thus minded when they re- 
ceive representatives of the press. 

The general impression in raihvay circles 
is, that when President Depew retires from 
official connection with the New York Cen- 
tral, Major Webb will be his successor. 

His Connection with the Roads of 
Northern New York. 

What we have thus far said relates to Mr. 
Webb's connection with the main lines of 
the Central corporation, the extent of which 
all our readers understand, for that system is 
one of the largest in the world, and is man- 
aged with a degree of judgment and practi- 
cal capacity that has elicited the wonder of 
travellers who are familiar with the great 
lines both in Europe and America. But it is 
in Major Webb's connection with our own 
northern line that he has been brought more 
directly into official relations v.-ith our own 



people. When the New York Central, on 
March 14, 1891, leased the lines of the R. 
W. & O. Road, Major Webb was placed in 
complete control of that entire system, and 
became the managing officer, the supreme 
executive head. Almost from the very week 
he assumed control, the beneficence of his 
management has made itself manifest. He 
began the great work of raising the newly- 
acquired property to the high standard of the 
trunk line. This necessitated new bridges, 
new rails, and the accomplishment of almost 
a process of new construction — • entirely so in 
some localities. The outlay for these im- 
provements has been enormous, reaching 
!|2, 000,000 of which ^600,000 has been ex- 
pended in the construction of new bridges, 
built of steel and iron. The bridges upon the 
whole line are now as good as any in the 
country. 

The entire road-bed has been re-ballasted, 
and in most of it new ties have been placed, 
and the number of the same per mile has been 
increased. New steel rails have been laid, 
weighing 70 and 72 pounds to the lineal yard, 
and the equipment has been correspondingly 
improved by the addition of standard locomo- 
tives of the heaviest pattern, which could not 
be run over the old R. W. & O., but which now, 
under the nevv improvements — -steel rails, 
perfect road-bed, and strong bridges — are 
allowed to run at high speed, and haul heavy 
trains. New passenger cars have been added ; 
in fact, the road has been virtually re-con- 
structed. Freight rates have been reduced, 
and the general conditions have been greatly 
improved. Among other things, several enter- 
prises in Northern New York have been as- 
sisted ; and all this has been done by hard 
work, and under the plans made and super- 
vised by Mr. Webb. 

For such labors, so well done, too much 
praise cannot be given this young man, who 
might have chosen ease, but prefers work. 
All that he touches he benefits. He has raised 
the old R., W. & O. R. R. system from a de- 
caying condition, with worn material and 
weak bridges, to become a grand roadway in 
itself, the natural ally of the great trunk sys- 



THEODORE li UTTERFIELD. 



139 



tem witii wliich it makes close connections, 
with vestibuled trains, and in summer with its 
steady-running " flyers " that cross the country 
at forty miles an hour in entire safety. The 
value of such a system, so connected, adds to 
the value of every acre of land in Northern 
New York, and is of interest to the poorest 
man as well as to the richest. The remark- 
able freedom from jjersonal accidents to ])as- 
sengers during the year 1894 affords the best 
possible guaranty that the system is well and 
safely managed. Speed and comfort are two 
conditions demanded by modern travellers; 
but the perfect combination is a rare one. On 
most Ainerican railroads, high speed is only 
possible at the expense of danger and discom- 
fort. To combine comfort and safety with 
the greatest speed, perfect equipment and 
absence of sharp curves are necessary. This 
is certainly the case with the R., W. & O. sys- 



tem. Its great eastern and western outlets, 
the New York Central and Hudson River 
Roads, hold the world's championship for 
long distance fast trains, won by recent im- 
provements in equipment and locomotive- 
building, that fairly mark an epoch in railroad- 
ing ; and its hundred-ton engines, borne on 
massive rails weighing 120 pounds per yard, 
now skim with perfect safety around curves at 
the rate of fifty-five miles an hour. Thesolid- 
est of road-beds is needed to withstand this 
marvelous speed, and to bear the enormous 
locomotives and trains ; what it does with 
safety is impossible to other railroads of in- 
ferior equipment, or built with sharp curves. 
Excepting the Great Western of Canada, 
which has one air-line reach of 100 miles, the 
New York Central straight tracks exceed those 
of any other railroad in the world. 

J. A. H. 



THEODORE BUTTERFIELD. 



Mr. Buttf.rfield comes into the transpor- 
tation system of Northern New York by what 
may be called " natural inheritance." His 
grandfather, the Honorable John Butterfield, 
of Utica, was the originator of the American 
Express Company, which was started under 
the firm of Wells, Butterfield & Company. 
He also raised the money and built the first 
\Ve3tern Union Telegraph Line, which was 
called the Morse Line Telegraph at that time, 
and was a director in the New York Central 
in its early stages, and one of the promoters 
and capitalists who built the Utica and Black 
River road, which started in opposition to the 
Romi and Watertowii road, because they 
could not agree on a starting point, as the 
capitalists of Northern New York wanted to 
start from Herkimer ; the Utica people would 
not hear to that, and were bound to start from 
Utica ; so the other people started from 
Rome, and the Utica people, not to be out- 
djne, started their road from Utica, which 
was liailt up to I'loonville, and finally extended 
to Ogdensburgh, Clayton and Sackets Har- 



bor. John Butterfield also started and owned 
the famous Pony Express or Overland Mail, 
which was the precursor of the Pacific rail- 
roads. 

Theodore Butterfield's uncle, ALajor-General 
Daniel Butterfield, was the first general super- 
intendent of the American Express Company, 
and also was chief of staff of the various com- 
manders of the Army of the Potomac, and 
gave the celebrated order, by direction of 
General Meade, to the corps commanders to 
fight Lee at Gettysburg, the battle that nearly 
broke the back of the Confederacy. 

Mr. Butterfield has been connected with 
the railroads of Northern New York for 20 
years. He began as chief clerk in the ac- 
counting department of the old Utica & Black 
River railroad, at Utica, and was soon after 
made general ticket agent, and then general 
passenger agent of that road ; and, as the road 
grew, he was made general freight and passen- 
ger agent. He remained in that position until 
the consolidation with the Rome, Watertown 
& Ogdensburg railroad, when he was ap- 



140 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



pointed general passenger agent of the R., W. 
& O. R. R., and has held that position under 
the consolidation of that system with the New 
York Central & Hudson River R. R.'s. 
When first appointed he was the youngest 
general ticket agent in the United States. 
His experience as assistant to the general 
superintendent, and in the operating depart- 



cursions, such as the New York, Washington 
and Chicago excursions ; and the idea of 
attaching sleeping-cars and drawing-room cars 
to excursion trains, now generally adopted, 
originated with him. 

At the time of his appointment he was the 
youngest general passenger agent in the United 
States. He is beyond all doubt the most popu- 




THEODORE BUTTERFIELD. 



ment of the Utica & Black River railroad, 
made him familiar with all departments of 
railroading, and that is the secret of his suc- 
cess in the passenger business, as he thor- 
oughly understands the details in railroading, 
and has in addition rare executive ability. 
He is the orisjinator of the long-distance ex- 



lar railroad man in Northern New York, the 
best known and most appreciated. With a clear 
head and ample knowledge of all railroad 
matters, his suggestions at the meetings of the 
passenger agents of the whole country are 
always listened to with the closest attention, 
and usually adopted. 



COLO y EL ZEBULON HOWELL BENTON. 



141 




COL. ZEPl'LOX HOWF.I.I. BENTON. 



COLONEL ZEBULON HOWELL BENTON. 

[Copied Iroai \\";illace's Guide to the .\dirond;icks.] 



There was probably no more romantic, 
picturesque or conspicuous figure connected 
with the chronicles of Lake Bonaparte than 
Colonel Zebulon H. Benton. The accom- 
panying engraving faithfully represents his 
appearance in daily life. He invariably 
dressed with the nicest regard to minute par- 



ticulars, in peaked felt hat, long black coat 
and ruffled shirt — every article faultlessly 
neat. With his fresh, ruddy complexion, 
clean-shaven face, rich growth of snow-white 
hair, graceful carriage, and form almost as 
lithe and perfect, at the ripe age of 82, as if 
in the flower of youth and strength, he seemed 



142 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



the embodiment of a gentleman of the old 
regime. 

Colonel Benton was born in Apulia, N. Y., 
Jani'iary 27, iSii, and the details of his check- 
ered life would fill a book. We can only 
briefly allude to the following facts: He was 
a cousin of Thomas Hart Benton, the great 
iSlissouri statesman, and consequently a kins- 
man of his daughter, Jessie Benton Fremont, 
the noted wife of the famous "Pathfinder." 
In the war of the Rebellion he received an 
appointment on the staff of General Fremont, 
but before he could arrange to take the posi- 
tion the general was suspended. He was 
also a relative of the eminent novelist, James 
Fenimore Cooper. From his very boyhood 
he led an extremely active life, and before he 
was fairly out of his teens he was entrusted 
by his employers with commissions of the ut- 
most importance, which he brought to suc- 
cessful consummation. He was engaged 
from time to time in great enterprises, espe- 
cially those of land, mining and railroading. 
The capital in\ested in these sometimes ex- 
ceeded a million dollars. His ventures, often 
gigantic, were not confined to Lewis and St. 
Lawrence counties, but extended into the 
Canadas, to the Gulf of Mexico, and even 
into South America. The mines at Rossie, 
Clifton, Jayville and Alpine are examples of 
these operations. AVe are convinced that the 
Carthage & Adirondack Railway owes its ex- 
istence to Colonel Benton and to Hon. Joseph 
Pahud, of Harrisville, N. Y., as they were 
unceasing in their efforts to establish that line 
to the Jayville mines. 

From the Carthage Republican, Philadel- 
phia Press and other reliable sources, we glean 
the following interesting information: Soon 
after the arrival of Joseph Bonaparte in this 
country, he met and loved a beautiful Quak- 
eress, by the name of Annette SaVage, a 
member of a family of high respectability, re- 
siding in Philadelphia, descendants of the 
celebrated Indian princess, Pocahontas.- They 
were subsequently married in private by a 
justice of the peace in that city. Two 
daughters were the fruit of this union, one of 
whom died in infancy. The other was chris- 



tened Charlotte C. Soon after arriving at 
maturity, she became the wife of Colonel Ben- 
ton. Their marriage resulted in seven chil- 
dren. The five surviving bear the appropri- 
ate names of Josephine Charlotte, Zenaide 
Bonaparte, Louis Joseph, Zebulon Napoleon 
and Thomas Hart. 

Mrs. Benton, having obtained a letter of 
introduction from General Grant to Hon. 
Elihu B. Washburn, United States Minister 
to France, and one also from Dr. J. DeHaven 
White, the eminent Philadelphia dentist, to 
his former pupil. Dr. Evans, the dental sur- 
geon of Louis Napoleon, repaired to Paris in 
1S69. She obtained audience with the Em- 
peror, and received immediate recognition as 
the daughter of Joseph Bonaparte; and by his 
imperial will and the laws of France, the 
union of her parents was confirmed and her 
legitimacy established. Honored by an invi- 
tation to attend the French court, she and 
two of her children were there kindly and 
cordially entertained by the Emperor and Em- 
press, who presented her with valuable sou- 
venirs upon the occasion. Napoleon often 
expressed great regret that he did not knov.- 
his cousin earlier, so that he might the sooner 
have bestowed upon her children the places 
to which, by birth, they were entitled. He 
presented her with her father's palace ; but 
this was lost through the downfall of the em- 
pire and of that ill-fated royal family. Mrs. 
Benton attended Napoleon during his impris- 
onment in Germany, and a short time after- 
ward (1871) returned to America. She was 
a woman of remarkable beauty and talent, 
and of most lovely characteristics. Her eyes 
were large, dark and lustrous, and, like the 
Colonel's, never dimmed by age. Receiving 
a fine education, in Europe and in this coun- 
try, she early developed great versatility in 
writing. Many brilliant articles in various 
papers and magazines were the productions of 
her pen, and she was the author of a book of 
rare merit, entitled "France and her People." 
She died December 25, 1S90, at Richfield 
Springs. Her husband, the subject of this 
sketch, died May 16, 1893, closing an unique, 
interesting and wonderfully romantic life. 



MAJOR JAMES llERVEV DURHAM. 



143 



So well and favorably known among the Thou- 
sand Islands, is the youngest son of John Perrin 
Durham, who came from County Durham, in 
the north of England, with his father William 
E'jbert Durham, just at the close of the Revo- 



MAJOR JAMES HERVEY DURHAM, 

P. became first an ensign in the Eraser Rifles, 
and finally a major in that noted regiment. 
James H. Durham, the subject of this sketch, 
was born in Syracuse, N. Y., December 17, 
182 I, and in 1831 went with his parents into the 




JIAJOK JA.ME5 UEKVEY UUKHAM. 



lution, at tlie age of two years. William E. 
was a major in the British army, but becoming 
disgusted with the license given to the Indians 
to murder and scalp their prisoners, he threw 
up his commission, returned to England, and 
finally emigrated to the United States. John 



wilds of Ohio, on a farm five miles from the 
nearest inhabitant. He attended the district 
schools for a time, then the seminary at Nor- 
walk, O., Baldwin Institute, Berea, O., and 
Oberlin College. He entered the 2nd Dra- 
goons, U. S. A., in 1849, serving up to th 



144 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



breaking out of ihe Rebellion. He was a 
member of B Co., Capt. Blake, 9th Indiana 
Vols., under Colonel, afterward Gen. Robert 
H. Milroy, in the first three months' campaign 
in West Virginia. He reported to Gen. 
George B. McClellan at Grafton, West Va., 
and was sent by him on important scouting 
service; was in the battles of PhiUipi, at Laurel 
Hill, and Carrick's Ford. At the close of the 
three months' campaign, he was appointed by 
Gov. Oliver P. Morton to the command of a 
camp near Indianapolis, and finally went to 
the front as ist Lieutenant and Adjutant of 



the 33rd Indiana Volunteers, Col. Coburn. 
Resigning from that command at the end of 
eighteen months' service, he became Major of 
cavalry, and later was connected with the 
artillery of the 23rd corps, under Gen. Scho- 
field. He was once in Libby prison, and the 
Andersonville stockade fifteen days He par- 
ticipated in several of the hardest-fought 
battles of the war, and was several times 
wounded. He has an honorable discharge 
and is a pensioner. He is the author of our 
history of Cape Vincent but not of this 
sketch. 



GENERAL WILLIAM H. ANGELL 



Was long prominently connected with the 
interests of the St. Lawrence, and legitimately 
belongs with those who are entitled to promi- 
nent remembrance in any history of the 
Upper St. Lawrence and of the Thousand 
Islands. He is remembered with pleasure by 
the older citizens of Clayton and of Jefferson 
county, for he was a man of great business 
capacity and force. Many buildings in 
Watertown bear silent witness of his manner 
of construction — notably the Taggart Bros', 
mill at the lower falls, and the water-reservoir, 
now over forty years in use. He was born in 
Burlington, Otsego county, N. Y., in 1797, one 
of a family of ten children. When only ten 
years of age he left home, and thenceforward 
earned not only his own living, but helped to 
care for the less able members of the family. 
At fourteen he gave his father $200 for his 
"time" — that is, for the time he would be a 
minor, and his father would, therefore, be 
legally entitled to his earnings. The General 
came into Jefferson county about 1815. He 
first located at Smithville, where he went into 
business with old-tiine Jesse Smith. When 
less than twenty years of age he bought over 
$5,000 worth of goods, and from Smithville, 
went to Clayton. Several years later (about 
1S34) he was at Sackets Harbor. In 1824 he 
had married Miss Harriet Warner. Seven 
children were born to this union, four of whom 



are still living. While at Sackets Harbor the 
General became associated in the manage- 
ment of the Sackets Harbor Bank, which was 
later merged into the Bank of Watertown, of 
which, about 1842, General Angell became 
sole owner. In 1858 his beloved wife died — 
a lady well remembered in Watertown for her 
devotion to charity and Christian works. 
The deserving poor never had a better friend, 
for what she gave was given with a grace and 
gentleness that made the action doubly en- 
dearing. 

In i860. General Angell married Miss M. 
Louise Judson, cousin of the late Gen. R. W. 
Judson, of Ogdensburg. She was an accom- 
plished lady, the pattern for a kind, dutiful 
wife. In iS6r, at the beginning of the civil 
war, the General removed to New York, 
where he become interested in several city 
contracts, and in 1862 he removed his familv 
to that city, which was thenceforth his home. 
By nature he was too active to relish a life of 
idleness, and he took up several means of ac- 
quiring wealth, among others extending the 
circulation of his bank from $29,000 to 
$80,000. He was also largely interested in 
the Continental Steel Works at Maspeth, 
Long Island. In 1863 the imposition of a tax 
of ten per cent upon the circulation of State 
Banks, drove them out of business. In 1871, 
General Angell had accumulated enough 



GENERAL WILLIAM H. ANGELL. 



145 



means to make home comfortable, and in that 
year he removed to Geneseo, expecting to 
spend there several years in the enjoyment of 
needed rest and a release from the cares of 
business. But his hopes were to be disap- 
pointed. On the ist of July, 1872, he was 



his home early in life, instead of Watertown, 
he would have taken rank with George Law 
and the elder Vanderbilt, for he was their 
superior in shrewdness of management, in 
perspicuity, in ability to predict the rise or 
fall of cereals or articles of general consump- 




GENERAL WILLIAM II. ANGELL. 



taken ill, and after great suffering, died at 
Geneseo on November 26, 1872. 

Viewed in the light of his varied and event- 
ful career. General Angell was a character 
difficult to reproduce. He had a noble soul, 
which scorned little things. He was undoubt- 
edly superior to the average able business men 
of his day — and had he made New York city 



tion. He was a firm friend, and he had many 
friends, for he was a friendly man, democra- 
tic in his ways, easily approached, never 
elated by success, nor intimidated by adver- 
sity. From 1820 to 1861, he was a conspicu- 
ous figure in Jefferson county, and his re- 
moval was a source of sincere regret. 

J. A. H. 



THE THOUSAND ISLANDS IN AUTUMN. 



CONTRIBUTED BY MR. S. E. BRIDGMAN. 



THE POT-HOLES, 



^' 



LL who have ever inhaled the breath of its 
forest trees, rambled over secluded fields 
or sailed into quiet and remote inlets, know 
the charm of these islands. But Nature is a 
coy maiden, and reserves her full glory for 
those who appreciate her worth and tarry till 
Autumn. Then she robes herself in scarlet; 
she clothes herself from day to day in gar- 
ments of beauty, changing from grave to gay. 
Under a cloudy sky the gray and the brown 
are worn in harmony with the upper world. 
Then, when the autumn sun gladdens us by 
his beams, she twines into her robes the deli- 
cate coloring which art tries in vain to rival. 
The excursions in and around among the 
Islands reveal visions of exquisite beauty. 
The golden air, the quiet waters, the flaming 
sentinels which wave their crimson banners, 
from crag and peak, the bold precipitous 
rocks with their granite sides stand out in re- 
lief, and fascinate the traveller as he winds in 
and out among these wonderful channels. 

We have rambled alone in wooded paths, 
out and away from the busy world outside, 
with only now and then a herd of cows for 
company. With crumpled horns and tinkling 
bell, their large eyes look lustrously upon us 
as if we were intruders. The crows sail over 
our heads and saucily call to us. The crane 
flutters up from the river side and flees away, 
his long, slender legs giving a most ridiculous 
appearance as he mounts the upper air. The 
little snake, with color rivaling that of the 
brilliant foliage, startles us as he crosses our 



path, but tarries not to make an acquaintance. 
The goldenrod bows in mock luimility as we 
pass her by. We walk under sturdy oaks and 
graceful pines, each adorned in their own pe- 
culiar green. The trees of the summer cover 
us with their brown leaves and speak to us of 
their past beauty. Blackened stumps give a 
tinge of sadness to the landscape so fair and 
beautiful and tell of forest fires. We climb 
up and stand on rocky ledges and catch 
glimpses of islands, lakes, bays, river, which 
glimmer in the afternoon sun, and a pathway 
of rosy light lies between us and distant 
shores. We plunge into dark ravines and 
stand amid shattered remnants of titanic rocks, 
which tell of the storms of the elements before 
man was. We descend to the water's edge, 
and gather the pure white lily, blossoming 
under the massive masonry, which guards it 
from the wayfarer. We shout for joy as we 
ramble over this enchanted ground, and our 
voice is caught up and throv/n back to us from 
the palisades above. Our call to the genii of 
the hills is answered, but only in mockery. 
So we ramble on, now carefully picking our 
way under boulders that have been tossed by 
giant arms from the heights above, and which 
if loosened as we pass would give us a burial 
and a monument, such as but few heroes have 
had. Suddenly, on a rocky promontory, away 
from hurrying footsteps, and far from ordinary 
rambles, we are startled by a vision of another 
world. AVe stand before no burning bush 
which blazes unconsumed, but we hear the 



THE POT-HOLES. 



149 



voice from out the silence saying, "Take the 
shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon 
thou standest is holy ground." 

The Pot-holes 
Before us is an inclined and solid rock 
stretching down to the watery edge, which in- 
stantly carries us back, beyond the " A. D.," 
beyond the " B. C-," beyond all human com- 
putation, back, back to the aeons of the past. 
In the center of this great rock is a well of 
water some ten to twelve feet deep, rising to 
within about five or six feet of the surface. 
No curb protects it. That would be mockery. 
It is well that we should not be reminded of 
man, when we stand by a well that was ages 
old when Jacob in Palestine immortalized his 
name by giving it to the one he dug for him- 
self and cattle. We leaned over its side and 
looked down into its depths. Carved, planed, 
smoothed, with no mark or crevice down its 
granite sides, it has stood the vast centuries, 
telling of the " ice age " of glacial avalanche, 
but more clearly telling the story of a tireless 
workman patiently working along the ages. 
In the far away past a little depression had 
been made in the rock. A small boulder was 
placed loosely in the center. Then the storm 
of waters flowed over the old, old world. For 
a time it circled playfully around in its rocky 
bed and wore away the rock to make for it a 
smooth resting place. It never dreamed that 



it was making for itself a grave, that would, 
perhaps, be seen by mortal man who then had 
no e-xistence. After age upon age had passed, 
it woke to find itself helpless to escape. 
Round and round in its agony it whirled in a 
circle, grinding and tearing its cage and ever 
sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss 
which it was making for itself. Is it a wonder 
that in the deep silence, the great bay before 
us, the forest behind, we stood in awe before 
this relic of the Eternal Fray? Just below it 
is a smaller well, it, too, telling the story of its 
grander neighbor and holding in its dejjths the 
instrument used for the work of alteration. 

We are not geologists, and the professors 
may smile at a layman's philosophy, but one 
cannot be blamed for a little imagination when 
standing by such a well, in the calm and haze 
of a autumnal day, with nature singing the 
doxology about him. 

We travel farther on; now in green pas- 
tures and by still waters, then over majestic 
walls of masonry which form fortresses and 
barriers that could stand the assault of a na- 
tion's batteries. At last we come out upon a 
plateau of rock, smooth and glossy almost as 
glass, it also having an unknown history. In its 
center is a massive granite boulder, a lonely 
giant stranded on the rock. Ask where it 
came from and only the echo answers 
"where?" Where in the world is there so 
enticing a place as "The Thousand Islands? " 



J^ 



THE WHITTLESEY AFFAIR. 



IN giving an extended notice of this Whit- 
tlesey episode, we are perhaps open to the 
criticism of making a great deal out of a com- 
paratively unimportant matter; but there is so 
much of tragedy in the story, and it affords 
so striking an illustration of the soul-destroy- 
ing influence of a dishonest greed for money, 
that the tale rises above a mere relation, and 
becomes a great moral lesson. In that light 
we present it as a legitimate chapter of history. 
Samuel Whittlesey, originally from Tolland, 
Ct., had removed, about 1808, to Watertown, 
and engaged in business as a lawyer. On the 
i2th of February, 1811, he received the ap- 
pointment of district attorney for the territory 
comprised in Lewis, Jefferson and St. Law- 
rence counties, and on the 6th of February, 
1813, he was superseded by the appointment 
of Amos Benedict, wlio had preceded him. 
Events connected with this, led to some sym- 
pathy for him, and the office of brigade pay- 
master, which had been tendered to Mr. Jason 
Fairbanks, was by him declined in favor of 
Whittlesey, and he, with Perley Keyes, be- 
came security for the honest discharge of the 
duties of the office. At the close of the war 
a large amount of money being due to the 
drafted militia, for services on the frontier, 
Whittlesey went to New York, accompanied 
by his wife, to obtain the money, and received 
at the Merchants' Bank in that city $30,000, 
in one, two, three, five and ten-dollar bills, 
with which he started to return. At Schenec- 
nectady, as was afterwards learned, his wife 
reported themselves robbed of $8,700, an oc- 
currence which greatly distressed and alarmed 
him, but she advised him not to make it pub- 
lic at that moment, as they might thereby 



better take steps that might lead to its re- 
covery, and on the way home, she in an art- 
ful and gradual manner persuaded him that 
if they should report the robbery of a part 
of the money, no one would believe it, as a 
thief would take the whole, if any. In short 
(to use a homely proverb), she urged that 
they might as well " die for an old sheep 
as a lamb," and keep the rest, as they would 
inevitably be accused of taking a part. Her 
artifice, enforced by the necessities of the 
case, took effect, and he suffered himself to 
become the dupe of his wife, who was doubt- 
less the chief contriver of the movements 
which followed. Accordingly, on his return, 
he gave out word that his money had been 
procured, and would be paid over as soon as 
the necessary papers and pay-roll could be 
prepared. In a few days, having settled his 
arrangements, he started for Trenton on 
horseback, with his portmanteau filled, stop- 
ping at various places on his way, to announce 
that on a given day he would return, to pay 
to those entitled, their dues, and in several in- 
stances evinced a carelessness about the cus- 
tody of his baggage that excited remark from 
inn-keepers and others. On arriving at Bill- 
ings' tavern at Trenton, he assembled several 
persons to whom money was due, and pro- 
ceeded to pay them, but upon opening his 
portmanteau, he, to the dismay of himself 
and others, found that they had been ripped 
open, and that the money was gone! With a 
pitiable lamentation and well-affected sorrow, 
he bewailed the robbery, instantly despatched 
messengers in quest of the thief, offered 
$2,000 reward for his apprehension, and ad- 
vertised in staring handbills throughout the 



THE WHITTLESEY AFFAIR. 



151 



country, in hopes of gaining some clew tliat 
would enable him to recover his treasure. In 
this anxiety he was joined by hundreds of 
others, who had been thus indefinitely delayed 
in the receipt of their needed and rightful 
dues, but although there was no lack of zeal 
in these efforts, yet nothing occurred upon 
which to settle suspicion, and with a heavy 
heart, and many a sigh and tear, he returned 
home, and related to his family and friends 
his ruin. As a natural consequence, the 
event became at once the absorbing theme of 
the country, for great numbers were affected 
in their pecuniary concerns by it, and none 
more than the two endorsers of the sureties 
of Whittlesey. These gentlemen, who were 
shrewd, practical and very observing men, 
immediately began to interrogate him, singly 
and alone, into the circumstance of the jour- 
ney and the robbery, and Fairbanks in par- 
ticular, whose trade as a saddler led him to be 
minutely observant of the qualities and ap- 
pearances of leather, made a careful examin- 
ation of the incisions in the portmonteau, of 
which there were X.\vo, tracing upon paper 
their exact size and shape, and upon close ex- 
amination, noticed pin holes in the margin, as 
if they had been mended up. Upon compar- 
ing the accounts which each had separately 
obtained in a long and searching conversatton, 
these men became convinced that the money 
had not been stolen in the manner alleged, but 
that it was still in the possession of Whittle- 
sey and his wife. To get possession of this 
money was their next care, and, after long 
consultation, it was agreed that the only way 
to do this, was to gain the confidence of the 
family, and defend them manfully against the 
insinuations that came from all quarters that 
the money was still in town. In this they 
succeeded admirably, and from the declar- 
ations which they made in public and in pri- 
vate, which found their way directly back to 
the family, the latter were convinced that, 
although the whole world were against them 
in their misfortunes, yet they had the satis- 
faction to know that the two men who were 
the most interested were still by their side. 
To gain some fact that would lead to a knowl- 



edge of the place of deposit, Messrs. Fair- 
banks and Keyes agreed to listen at the win- 
dow of the sleeping room of those suspected, 
which was in a chamber, and overlooked the 
roof of a piazza. Accordingly, after dark, 
one would call upon the family and detain 
them in conversation, while the other mounted 
a ladder and placed himself where he could 
overhear what was said within, and although 
they thus became convinced that the money 
was still in their possession, no opinion could 
be formed about the hiding place. Security 
upon their real estate was demanded, and 
readily given. 

A son of the family held a commission in 
the navy, and was on the point of sailing for 
the Mediterranean, and it was suspected that 
the money might thus have been sent off, to 
ascertain which, Mr. Fairbanks, under pre- 
text of taking a criminal to the State Prison, 
went to New York, made inquiries wliich sat- 
isfied him that the son was innocent of any 
knowledge of the affair, and ascertained at 
the bank the size of the packages taken. He 
had been told by Whittlesey that these had 
not been opened when stolen, and by making 
experiments with blocks of wood of the same 
dimensions, they readily ascertained that 
bundles of that size could not be got through 
an aperture of the size reported, and that in- 
stead of a seven it required an eighteen-inch 
slit in the leather to allow of their being ex- 
tracted. Some facts were gleaned at Albany 
that shed further light, among which it was 
noticed that Mrs. Whittlesey at lier late visit 
(although very penurious in her trade) had 
been very profuse in her expenses. After a 
ten-days' absence Mr. Fairbanks returned; his 
partner having listened nights meanwhile, and 
the intelligence gained by eves-dropping, al- 
though it failed to disclose the locality of the 
lost money, confirmed their suspicions. As 
goods were being boxed up at Whittlesey's 
liouse at a late hour in the night, and the 
daughters had already been sent on to Sack- 
ets Harbor, it was feared that the family 
would soon leave ; decisive measures were 
resolved upon to recover the money, the 
ingenuity and boldness of which evince the 



152 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



sagacity and energy of the parties. Some 
method to decoy Whittlesey from home, and 
frighten him by threats, mutilation or tor- 
ture, into a confession, was discussed, but as 
the latter might cause an uncontrollable hem- 
orrhage, it was resolved to try the effect of 
drowning. Some experiments were made 
on their own persons, of the effect of submer- 
sion of the head, and Dr. Sherwood, a 
physician of the village, was consulted on the 
time life would remain under water. Having 
agreed upon a plan, on the evening before its 
execution, they repaired to a lonely place 
about a mile south of the village, screened 
from the sight of houses by a gentle rise of 
ground, and where a spring issued from the 
bank and flowed off through a miry slough, 
in which, a little below, they built a dam of 
turf that formed a shallow pool. It was ar- 
ranged that Mr. Fairbanks should call upon 
Whittlesey, to confer with him on some 
means of removing the suspicions which the 
public had settled upon him, by obtaining 
certificates of character from leading citizens 
and officers of the army ; and that the two 
were to repair to Mr. Keyes's house, which 
was not far from the spring. Mr. Keyes was 
to be absent repairing his fence, and to leave 
word with his wife that if any one inquired 
for him, to send them into the field where he 
was at work. Neither had made confidants 
in their suspicions or their plans, except that 
Mr. Keyes thought it necessary to reveal 
them to his son, P. Gardner Keyes, then seven- 
teen years of age, whose assistance he might 
need, in keeping up appearances, and in 
whose sagacity and fidelity in keeping a secret 
he could rely. 

Accordingly, on the morning of July 17th 
(1815), Mr. Keyes, telling his wife that the 
cattle had broken into his grain, shouldered 
his axe and went to rep.iir the fence which 
was thrown down, and Mr. Fairbanks called 
upon Whittlesey, engaged him in conversa- 
tion, as usual, and without exciting the 
slightest suspicion, induced him to go up to 
see his partner, whom they found in a distant 
part of the field at work. Calling him to 
them, they repaired as if casually to the 



spring, where, after some trifling remark, they 
explicitly charged him with the robbery, gave 
their reasons for thinking so, and told him 
that if he did not instantly disclose the local- 
ity of the money, the pool before him should 
be his grave. This sudden and unexpected 
charge frightened their victim; but with a 
look of innocence he exclaimed, " I know 
nothing of the matter." This was no sooner 
said than he was rudely seized by Mr. Keyes 
and plunged headforemost into the pool, and 
after some seconds withdrawn. Being again 
interrogated, and assured that if the money 
were restored, no legal proceedings would be 
instituted, he again protested his innocence, 
and was a second time plunged in, held under 
several moments and again withdrawn, but 
this time insensible, and for one or two min- 
utes it was doubtful whether their threats had 
not been executed; but he soon evinced signs 
of life, and so far recovered as to be able to 
sit up and speak. Perhaps nothing but the 
certain knowledge of his guilt, which they 
possessed, would have induced them to pro- 
ceed further; but they were men of firmness, 
and resolved to exhaust their resource of ex- 
pedients, rightly judging that a guilty con- 
science could not long hold out against the 
prospect of speedy death. He was accord- 
ingly addressed by Mr. Keyes in tones and 
emphasis of sober earnest, and exhorted for 
the last time to sajve himself from being hur- 
ried before the tribunal of Heaven, laden with 
guilt — to disclose at once. In feeble tones he 
re-asserted his innocence, and was again col- 
lared and plunged in, but this time his body 
only was immersed. It had been agreed in 
his hearing, that Fairbanks (being without a 
family) should remain to accomplish the 
work, by treading him into the bottom of the 
slough, while Keyes was to retire, so that 
neither could be a witness of murder if appre- 
hended; and that on a given day they were to 
meet in Kingston. Keyes paid over about 
$90 to bear expenses of travel, and was about 
to leave, when the wretched man, seeing 
these serious arrangements, and at length be- 
lieving them to be an awful reality, exclaimed, 
"I'll tell you all about it!" Upon this, he 



THE WHITTLESEY AFFAIR. 



153 



was withdrawn, and when a little recovered, 
he confessed, that all but about $9,000 (which 
he now, for the first time, stated to have been 
stolen at Schenectady), would be found either 
under a hearth at his house, or quilted into a 
pair of drawers in his wife's possession. Mr. 
Keyes, leaving his prisoner in charge of his 
associate, started for tlie house, and was seen 
by his wife, coming across the fields, covered 



Hutchinson and John M. Canfield, the facts, 
and with them repaired to the house of Whit- 
tlesey. Seeing them approach, Mrs. Whittle- 
sey fled to her chamber, and on their knocking 
for admission, she replied that she was chang- 
ing her dress, and would meet them shortly. 
As it was not the time or place for the observ- 
ance of etiquette, Mr. Keyes rudely burst 
open the door, and entering, found, her reclin- 




THE "BON voyage" ENTERING ALEXANDRIA BAY. 



with mud, and, to use the words of the latter, 
"looking like a murderer; " and although in 
feeble health, and scarcely able to walk, she 
met him at the door, and inquired with alarm, 
"What have you been doing?" He briefly 
replied, " We have had the old fellow under 
water, and made him own where the money 
is; " and hastily proceeding to the village, re- 
lated in a few words to his friends, Dr. Paul 



ing on the bed. Disregarding her expostula- 
tions of impropriety, he rudely proceeded to 
search, and soon found between the straw and 
feather bed, upon which she lay, a quilted 
garment, when she exclaimed : " You've got 
it ! My God, have I come to this ? " The 
drawers bore the initials of Col. Tuttle, who 
had died in that house, under very suspicious 
circumstances ; were fitted with two sets of 



IS4 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



buttons, for either the husband or wife to 
wear, and contained about thirty parcels of 

bills, labelled, " For my dear son C , 250 

of 5; '' " For my dear daughter E , 150 of 

3," etc., amounting to i|i5,ooo to her five 
children; the remainder being reserved for 
her own use. The garment also contained a 
most extraordinary document, which might be 
called Her Will, and about which she ex- 
pressed the most urgent solicitude, implor- 
ing, "That you have children as well as 
me ! " It was soon after published in the 
papers, and was as follows: 

"It is mv last and dying request, that my children 
shall have all the money that is contained in the 
papers which have their names on, which is $3,000 
for each; and let there be pains and caution, and a 
great length of time taken to exchange it in. God 
and my own heart knows the misery I have suffered 
in consequence of it, and that it was much against 
my will that it should be done. I have put all that 
is in the same bank by it, that I had from prudence, 
and a great number of years been gathering up; and 
when I used to meet with a bill on that bank in your 
possession, or when I could, I used to exchange 

- others for them, as I supposed it was the best, and 
would be the most permament bank. You know 
the reason of your taking this was, that we supposed 
that from the lock of the small trunk being broken, 
and the large one being all loose, and the nails out, 
that we were robbed on the road of $8,700. You 
know that I always told you, that I believed it was 
done in the yard, where you, as I told you then, put 
the wagon imprudently in Schenectady. Oh! how 
much misery am I born to see, through all your im- 
proper conduct, which I am forced to conceal from the 
view of the world, for the sake of my beloved off- 
springs' credit, and whereby I have got enemies un- 
deservedly, while the public opinion was in yourfavor! 
But it fully evinces what false judgments the world 
makes. Oh ! the God who tries the hearts, and 
searches the veins of the children of men, knows 
that the kind of misery which I have suffered, and 
which has riled and soured my temper, and has 
made me appear cross and morose to the public eye, 
has all proceeded from you. and fixed in my counten- 
ance the mark of an ill-natured disposition, which 
was naturally formed for loves, friendships, and 
other refined sensations. How have I falsified the 

.truth, that you might appear to every advantage, at 
the risk and ill-opinion of the sensible world towards 
myself, when my conscience was telling me I was 
doing wrong; and which, with everything else that 
I have suffered since I have been a married woman, 
has worn me down and kept me out of health; and 



now, oh! now, this last act is bringing me to my 
grave f^ist. I consented because you had placed me 
in the situation you did. In the first place you were 
delinquent in the payment to the government of 
eighteen or nineteen hundred dollars. Then this al- 
most $g.ooo missing, I found when you came to 
settle, that you never could make it good without 
sacrificing me and my children, was the reason I 
consented to the proposal. I did you the justice to 
believe that the last sum had not been missing, that 
you would not have done as you did- but I am 
miserable! God grant that my dear children may 
never fall into the like error that their father has, 
and their poor unfortunate mother consented to ! 
May the Almighty forgive us both, for I freely for- 
give you all you have made me suffer." 

The money being counted, and to their 
surprise found to embrace a part of the sum 
supposed to be stolen, Mr. Keyes went back 
to release Whittlesey. The latter, meanwhile, 
had related the circurnstances of the robbery, 
and anxiously inquired whether, if the whole 
was not found, they would still execute their 
purpose; to which Mr. Fairbanks replied in 
a manner truly characteristic, "that will de- 
pend on circumstances." No one was more 
surprised than Whittlesey himself, to learn 
that most of the money was found, and that 
he had been robbed at Schenectady by his 
own wife. He begged hard to be released on 
the spot, but it was feared he would commit 
suicide, and he was told that he must be de- 
livered up to the public as sound as he was 
taken, and was led home. The fame of this 
discovery soon spread, and it was with diffi- 
culty the villagers were restrained from evinc- 
ing their joy by the discharge of cannon. 
Mr. Whittlesey was led home and placed 
with a guard in the room with his wife, until 
further search ; and here the most bitter 
crirninations were exchanged, each charging 
the other with the crime, and the wife up- 
braiding the husband with cowardice for re- 
vealing the secret. The guard being with- 
drawn in the confusion that ensued, Mrs. 
Whittlesey passed from the house, and was 
seen by a person at a distance to cross the 
cemetery of Trinity church, where, on pass- 
ing the grave of a son, she paused, faltered 
and fell back, overwhelmed with awful 
emotion ; but a moment after, gathering new 



THE WHITTLESEY AFFAIR. 



155 



energy, she hastened on, rushed down tlie 
high bank near the ice-cave, and plunged into 
the river. Her body was found floating near 
the lower bridge, and efforts were made to 
recover life, but it was extinct. 

The sympathies of the public were not 
withheld from the children of this family, 
who were thus cast penniless and disgraced 
upon the world. Many details connected 
with the affair we have not given ; among 
which were several attempts to throw sus- 
picion upon several parties by depositing 
money on their premises, writing anonymous 
letters, etc.; which served but to aggravate 
the crime by betraying the existence of a de- 
pravity on the part of the chief contriver in 
the scheme, which has seldom or never been 
equaled. The marked bills amounting to 
$400 had been dropped on the road to Sack- 
ets Harbor, and were found by Mr. Gale, who 
prudently carried them to a witness, counted 
and sealed them and after the disclosure 
brought them forward. Mr. Whittlesey 
stated that he expected some one would find 
and use the money, when he could swear to 
the marks, and implicate the finder. Mr. 
Gale, upon hearing this, was affected to tears, 
and exclaimed: "Mr. Whittlesey, is it pos- 
sible you would have been so wicked as to 
have sworn me to State Prison for being 
honest ! " 

Mr. Whittlesey remained in Watertown 
nearly a year, and then moved to Indiana, 
where he afterwards became a justice of the 
peace and a county judge, and by an exem- 
plary life won the respect of the community; 
and although the details of this affair followed 



him, yet the censure of opinion rested u])on 
the wife. 

Congress, on the nth of January, 1821, 
passed an act directing tlie Secretary of the 
Treasury to cancel and surrender the bond 
given by Whittlesey and endorsed by Fair- 
banks and Keyes, on condition of the latter 
giving another, payable with interest in two 
years, for the balance remaining unaccounted 
for — thus virtually closing up a business 
arrangement which had been a continued 
occasion for anxiety and trouble to them 
through successive years. 

In speaking of the Whittlesey matter, to 
the author of this History, Mr. Fairbanks 
said: 

Before we executed our plan we had positive evi- 
dence of his knowledge of the transaction and of 
his guilt: and, on the strength of that, we did not 
expect to proceed to extremities further than to 
frighten him until he informed us where the money 
was secreted. But his stubborness lield out much 
longer than we supposed it would or could. When 
we put the evidence of his guilt before him in such 
a plain manner his looks were evidence of it. We 
informed him that there was no doubt about it, and 
I believe that there is not one case in a thousand 
where evidence was so palpable as in this case. But 
Lynch Law is a dangerous one, and I would not ad- 
vise it. But with other guilty parties who have 
stolen from me and been detected, I believe I have 
used more mild and lenient measures. I have prob- 
ably caught twenty persons pilfering from me, and I 
have always made them give me a confession in 
writing, and then promised them, that as they had 
relatives who would be disgraced by their conduct, 
I would keep it a profound secret until they commit- 
ted the crime again, when I would prosecute them. 
I found this plan the surest method of reforming 
them. 



-^A^ 



THE "PATRIOT" WAR. 



COPIED FROM haddock's HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, N. Y. 



/^vURING thefallof 1837 there occurred one 
i^ of the most curious, and what would now 
be classed as inexcusable and insane, episodes 
that Jefferson county and the whole northern 
frontier had ever witnessed — nothing more 
nor less than a popular effort on the part of 
American citizens to overthrow the govern- 
ment of Canada by an unwarranted invasion 
of the frontier towns, expecting to arouse the 
people to immediate participation in the re- 
bellious effort as soon as a stand should have 
been made. Ridiculous as this affair appears 
at this day, it was a popular and an enthu- 
siastic effort at the time, drawing into its 
service many educated and apparently level- 
headed men, and meeting with an amount of 
smypathy in Northern New York that was 
really astonishing. 

There had been for some time considerable 
discontent in Canada, some claiming that 
they were virtually shut out from proper 
participation in the government, and their 
repeated efforts to obtain better legislation had 
been disregarded. This discontent was more 
pronounced in the Lower Province, where 
the French Canadians had great influence, and 
had never in their hearts yielded a loyal sup- 
port to the English rule over a country which 
had once belonged to France. It was said at 
the time that the charges made by the Cana- 
dians against their rulers were greater than 
the causes that separated the American colo- 
nies from the English. The Reform party in 
Parliament of the Upper Province was led by 
AVilliam Lyon McKenzie, and Papenau was 
the leader in the Lower Province. The Home 



Government sustained all the alleged oppres- 
sive acts of the local government. The Re- 
form party refused to vote supplies for the 
support of the government, and the Parlia- 
ments were dissolved. The excitement had 
become great all through the provinces, ex- 
tending to the frontiers on this side. The 
parliament buildings at Montreal were burned. 
The first collision between the Reform parties 
and the Tories, in the Upper Province, was 
on Yonge street, Toronto, where several were 
killed. The feeling now became very intense. 
The reform party contained many determined 
and resolute men, but they desired relief from 
British oppression through peaceful means. 
They had never contemplated a resort to arms, 
but the feeling in both provinces was aroused 
to such an extent that it could not be peace- 
ably controlled. The feeling for the " relief " 
of Canada seemed to pervade all classes; secret 
societies were formed in the principal towns 
on this side as well as many on the Canadian 
side of the river. They were called Hunter's 
Lodges, and had signs and pass-words by 
which they could recognize each other. 

In the summer of 1837, William Lyon Mc- 
Kenzie and Gen. Van Rensselaer, with 300 
men, established themselves on Navy Island in 
Canadian waters, between Chippewa and 
Grand Island, in the Niagara river. Rein- 
forcements came to Navy Island from the 
American side. The little steamer " Caro- 
line " was chartered to carry passengers and 
freight to the island from Buffalo. On the 
night of November 29, 1837, while this 
steamer was moored at Schlosser's wharf, a 



THE •'PATRIOT'- WAR. 



157 



captain in the English army with a company 
of British soldiers, boarded her and set her on 
fire, and cutting the boat loose, sent her adrift 
over Niagara Falls. One Captain Alexander 
McLeod, while on a debauch at Niagara, 
made his boast that he was one of the gang 
that burned the Caroline. He was arrested 
for the murder of Durfee. Mistrial was com- 
menced at Canandaigua, but it was considered 
unsafe and he was removed to Utica. His 
defense was that he acted under the authority 
of the British government. He proved an 
alibi and was acquitted, being defended by 
able Canadian lawyers. The outrage was 
complained of by Governor Marcy to Martin 
Van Buren, then President of the United 
States, but no demand on the British govern- 
ment was ever made. The President issued 
a proclamation forbidding all persons from 
aiding or assisting, in any way, the rebellious 
acts of any people, or collection of people 
who interfered with the execution of the laws 
of a friendly nation, declaring all such persons 
outlaws and not entitled to the protection of 
the American government. 

Great preparations were soon made for an 
attack upon Kingston, while the St. Lawrence 
was bridged with ice. On the night of Feb- 
ruary 19, 1838, the arsenal at Watertown, 
N. Y., was broken into and 400 stand of arms 
were taken. The arsenals at Batavia and 
Elizabethtown were also plundered. On the 
20th of February patriots began to flock to 
French Creek in large numbers with a supply 
of arms and ammunition, consisting of 1,000 
stand of arms, twenty barrels of cartridges and 
a large store of provisions. It was intensely 
cold, and the men suffered from exposure. 
General Rensselaer Van Rensselaer, a son of 
General Van Rensselaer, of the war of 1812, 
was to assume the command. Either through 
the cowardice of the officers or the men, no 
man saw Canadian soil, and after much talk 
of bravery the men dispersed to their homes. 
It was reported that Colonel Bonnycastle, at 
the head of 1,600 men, was coming from 
Kingston to make an attack upon the town, 
and through fear and of the loved ones at 
home, the patriots scattered without" much 



ceremony, leaving all their arms and ammuni- 
tion beliind. This flight homeward was as 
ridiculous as their attempt was insane. 

On the night of May 30, 1S38, the Canadian 
steamer, Sir Robert Peel, which was com- 
manded by John B. Armstrong, on her way 
from Brockville to Toronto, with nineteen 
passengers and about ^^^20,000 in specie for 
paying off the troops in the Upper Province, 
was taking on wood at McDonnell's wharf, in 
the southern channel of the St. Lawrence, 
above Alexandria Bay, when a company of 
men, led by " Bill " Johnston, the alleged hero 
of the Thousand Islands, disguised and painted 
like savages, armed with muskets and bayonets, 
rushed on board, shouting, " Remember the 
Caroline." The night was dark and rainy. 
The passengers (who were asleep in the cabin) 
together with the crew were ordered on shore. 
The boat was then pushed out into the river 
and burned. The sunken hull can be seen ' 
there to this day. Heavy rewards were 
offered for the apprehension of the offenders 
by both governments. Twelve of the band 
were arrested and held in the Watertown jail 
for about six months. On the 2d of June, 
Anderson was indicted and held for arson in 
the first degree. He was tried before John 
P. Cushman, one of the circuit judges, and 
defended by Calvin McKnight, Benjamin 
Wright, John Clark and Bernard Bagley. 
After a deliberation of two hours the jury 
brought in a verdict of " not guilty." After 
a time the others were released on their own 
recognizance, and were never subjected to a 
trial. 

William Johnston was born in Lower Canada 
and became a confidential friend of William 
Lyon McKenzie. He became a leader in the 
Reform party, and afterwards removed to 
French Creek. He was a man of great energy, 
and bore a fair reputation. Johnston was now 
considered the patriotic commander, and a 
band under his command fortified themselves 
on one of the islands within the Jefferson 
county line. His daughter, Kate Johnston, 
held communication with them and furnished 
them with provisions and supplies. It was at 
this time that Johnston i)ublished the following 



158 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



curious manifesto — which is, so far as the 
writer knows, the only instance in which an 
outlaw had the " cheek " to declare war from 
his place of hiding against a friendly nation: 

" I, William Johnston, a natural born citizen of 
Upper Canada, do hereby declare that I hold a com- 
mission in the Patriot service as commander-in-chief 
of the naval forces and flotilla. I comm.anded the 
expedition that captured and destroyed the Sir 
Robert Peel. The men under my command in that 
expedition were nearly all natural born English sub- 
jects. The exceptions were volunteers. My head- 
quarters are on an island in the St. Lawrence without 
the line of the jurisdiction of the United States, at a 
place named by me Fort Wallace. I am well ac- 
quainted with the boundary line and know which 
of the islands do, and which do not, belong to the 
United States. Before I located my headquarters I 
referred to the decisions of the commissioner made 
at Utica, under the sixth article of the treaty of 
Ghent. I know the number of the island and know 
that by the division of the commissions it is British 
territory. I yet hold possession of the station and 
act under orders. The object of my movement is 
the independence of the Canadas. I am not at war 
with the commerce or property of the United States. 

"Signed this loth day of June in the 5'ear of our 
Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight. 
" WILLIAM JOHNSTON." 

The effect of this manifesto was quite im- 
portant, as it was distributed through all the 
provinces and in all parts of the frontier States. 
The excitement along the frontiers grew more 
intense. Sir Allan McNab, the governor- 
general, fearing for the safety of his life, had 
resigned, and in returning to England passed 
through Watertown disguised as a laborer. 
He was recognized by Jason Fairbanks while 
sitting on a wheelbarrow in front of Gilson's 
tavern, waiting for the stage for Utica. Being 
advised by some of the leading men that he 
need have no fear of danger while travelling 
through the States, he changed his disguise 
and assumed his former dignity. Lord Dur- 
ham succeeded hiin as governor-general. The 
secret lodges were now making large additions 
to their membership. It had now become 
evident that a stand was lo be made some- 
where for the threatened invasion. 

On the loth of November, two schooners, 

the "Charlotte," of Oswego, and the " Isa- 

I belle," of Toronto, left Oswego with arms and 



ammunition and about 300 men for some 
Canadian point on the St. Lawrence. The 
steamer " United States " left Oswego on the 
following morning for the same destination, 
touching at Sackets Harbor and taking on 
board about 100 men, besides arms and am- 
munition. The schooners had proceeded as 
far as Milieu's Bay, below Cape Vincent, and 
the steamer " United States" coming up took 
them in tow, one on each side. There were 
now about 500 men on board the boat, all 
young, destined for some point known to but 
very few, if any, except the officers. They 
were fully officered, Gen. J. Ward Birge hold- 
ing the appointment of commander-in-chief. 
He was very sanguine, but his subsequent 
acts made him conspicuous as a coward. 
These vessels being well supplied with field 
pieces, small arms, ammunition and provisions, 
started on the morning of the 17th of Novem- 
ber, down the river. When passing Alexan- 
dria Bay, Charles Crossmon, one of these 
" patriots," then a young man of twenty years, 
full of patriotic impulses, little thought that 
one day at this point a beautiful tourist home 
should bear his name. 

The boats swept down the river until 
abreast of Prescott. At that point the 
schooners were detached, and dropped down 
to Windmill Point, about a mile below the city, 
where stood an abandoned windmill. 

In trying to land, the schooners ran aground, 
one near the point and the other farther down 
the river. About 250 men landed from the 
schooners, and the greater part of the guns 
and ammunition, together with one twelve 
pounder and two brass seven pounders were 
brought down. They then took possession of 
the windmill, which they held with three 
other stone buildings. The schooners, after 
getting afloat with the balance of the men and 
ammunition, sailed for Ogdensburg. This 
looked rather discouraging to the men in the 
windmill, to see these schooners leave them 
with many of their men and nearly all of 
their provisions and ammunition. Colonel 
Worth and the United States Marshal, Gar- 
ron, afterwards seized the vessels and all of 
their cargoes. Prospects began to darken for 



THE " r.'l TRIO T ■• WAR. 



159 



the Patriots. They were deserted by nearly 
all of their officers. General Birge wilted at 
the first chance of facing British bullets. It 
happened that among the Patriot band was a 
Polish e.\ile, Niles Sobelitcki Van Schoultz, 
who came from Salina. He was of noble birth, 
his father being an officer of high rank, and 
he himself had been an officer in the Polish 
service. He had been deluded into the pro- 
ject of freeing Canada Irom " tyranny and 



river. They landed at Prescott. It was now 
evident that some fighting was to be done. 
Von Schoultz gave great encouragement to 
his men, advising them to brave the British 
bullets and stand by each other to the last 
man. They agreed to follow wherever he 
should lead. 

The British steamers were now patroling 
the river, and occasionally firing shots at the 
wind-mill. One shot was fired at the steamer 




HAT-WINi; S.VIL. 



oppression.^' In the emergency he was now 
placed in command. It had all along been 
understood that as soon as a stand was made 
by any Patriot force, the Canadians would 
flock to their standard. In this they now 
found themselves grossly deceived ; not a 
single man came to their relief. They were 
looked upon as brigands and robbers. On the 
morning of the i8th, three Canadian steam- 
boats, the " Coburg," the " Experiment " and 
the " Traveller," with about 400 regular troops 
from Kingston, were seen coming down the 



"United States" while in American waters 
passing through her wheel house, killing the 
man at the wheel. The British troops, under 
Colonel Dundas, came marching from Pres- 
cott to annihilate the Patriots. Van Schoultz 
marched his men out of the building into the 
field. They formed in line behind a stone 
fence, which they used as a breast-work. 
The British commenced firing when about 
150 yards away, and continued their firing as 
they advanced, without doing any injury. 
The " Patriots " held their fire until the 



i6o 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LA IV RE A' CE RIVER. 



enemy had advanced to within fifteen rods, 
and then they got the order to fire. This 
broad-side resulted in killing thirty-six British 
soldiers, and wounding many others. The 
British fell back, but the firing continued on 
both sides. This was followed by the with- 
drawal of the "Patriots" — some into the 
wind-mill, and others occupying the outhouses, 
but continuing their fire at long range. The 
cannon shots aimed at the mill glanced off 
and produced no effect upon the walls. The 
battle raged three hours and twenty minutes, 
during which time six of the Patriots had been 
killed, and twenty-one wounded. It was esti- 
mated that seventy-five of the British lay dead 
upon the field, and 150 were wounded. 
Colonel Dundas now sent a flag of truce, ask- 
ing a cessation of hostilities for an hour, that 
he might remove his dead and wounded, which 
was cheerfully granted by Von Schoultz. 

The strife was watched with intense interest 
by a large crowd of people at Ogdensburg, 
directly opposite. The river now being clear, 
Hon. Preston King, with a few volunteers, 
chartered the " Paul Pry " to go over and get 
the Patriots away from the wind-mill. This 
was done probably by consent of the British 
forces. The boat went over, but only a few 
of the men chose to leave. Jonah Woodruff, 
the artist, afterwards the sleeping-car inventor 
and proprietor, was one of those who came 
away on the " Paul Pry." As time was prec- 
ious, the night dark and the limit of the truce 
uncertain, the men in the mill irresolute and 
under poor military subjection, Mr. King and 
his party were forced to leave with but few, 
when all could have been saved. 

About 10 o'clock on the third day the 
British regulars, reinforced with about 1,000 
militia, came bearing down upon this almost 
defenseless band in the old mill. They had 
but little ammunition left, but they resolved 
to sell their lives as dearly as possible. The 
troops continued firing their cannon and vol- 
leys of musket balls, however, without peril- 
ous effect. At length Von Schoultz ordered 
a cannon loaded with musket balls, spikes and 
pieces of iron placed in the door of the mill, 
and at an opportune moment it was dis- 



charged, killing twenty-five of the British and 
wounding as many more. Tiiis threw them 
into confusion, and they retreated. 

At length Von Schoultz saw that his men 
could not stand another charge, and, with 
much reluctance, sent out a flag of truce, the 
bearers of which were immediately taken ])ris- 
oners. They then displayed a white flag from 
the top of the mill, but no notice was taken of 
it. Towards night Colonel Dundas sent out 
a flag demanding a surrender of the men at 
his discretion. Von Schoultz offered to sur- 
render as prisoners of war, but Colonel Dun- 
das would grant no conditions. Finally the 
little band, finding opposition hopeless, gave 
themselves up without terms into the hands of 
the British commander. 

Thus ended one of the most foolish and ill- 
conceived expeditions that was ever under- 
taken. Nineteen of the patriots were killed, 
thirty-five were wounded and about 190 were 
taken prisoners. The latter were placed on 
board the steamers and taken to Kingston, 
where they were confined in Fort Henry. It 
was estimated that about 125 of the British 
were killed and 200 wounded. 

The prisoners were confined in squads of 
fifteen to twenty in small rooms in the fort, 
and placed under a strong guard. Sir George 
Arthur had decided that they were brigands 
and must be tried by a court martial, to be 
composed of seven field officers and seven 
captains of the line. 

The serious condition of these prisoners 
excited the sympathy of the people of Jeffer- 
son county as well as of their friends, and 
meetings were held in all the towns under 
great excitement, petitions being circulated 
far and wide and extensively signed. These 
were presented to Sir George Arthur, the 
governor-general, asking clemency for these 
poor deluded victims. The best legal talent 
in the State volunteered their aid in defence 
of the prisoners, and in mitigation of their 
condition. William H. Seward, Philo Grid- 
ley, Hiram Denio, Joshua A.Spencer, Bernard 
Bagley and George C. Sherman, all united and 
used their best efforts in appealing to the 
governor-general for clemency. 



THE " PA TRIO T ' ' IVA li. 



l6l 



The court convened on the 28th of Novem- 
ber; Daniel George being the first prisoner to 
be tried, pleaded not guilty. When he was 
taken from the steamer, papers were found in 
his pockets commissioning him as paymaster 
of the eastern division of the Patriot army. 
Von Schoultz was then brought before the 
court for trial. He employed the barrister, 
Sir John McDonald, to aid him in his defense. 
He pleaded guilty. He sent a written appeal 
to the governor- general, in which he stated 
that he was deluded into joining in the inva- 
sion of Canada by the gross misrepresenta- 
tions of such men as J. Ward Birge and Will- 
iam Lyon McKenzie, who claimed to know 
the sentiment and wishes of the people of 
Canada, and that they would be received with 
open arms. Also, that the militia, when 
called out, wou'd flock to their standard. All 
of which proved to be a base delusion. He 
asked for mercy at his hands. Every means 
of influence which could be brought to bear 
upon the governor-general by such men as 
Judge Fine, Silas Wright and a host of others, 
could not change his determination of execut- 
ing all the officers and leaders. 

Dorephus Abbey, a former newspaper editor 
of Watertown, was the next to be tried. He 
was captured while carrying a flag of truce, 
and was next in rank to Von Schoultz. Next 
was Martin Woodruff. All of these, after 
trial, namely : Daniel George, Nicholas Von 
Schoultz, Dorephus Abbey and Martin Wood- 
ruff were sentenced by Sir George Arthur to 
be hanged, and this sentence was carried out 
December 8th. Von Schoultz made his will, 
giving, among his many bequests, $10,000 for 
the benefit of the families of the British 
soldiers who were killed at the battle of the 
Windmill. He also wrote the following pa- 
thetic and farewell letter to his friend, Warren 
Green, of Syracuse: 

" Dear Friend. —When you get this letter, I shall 
be no more. I h.ive been informed that my execu- 
tion will take place to-morrow. M.\v God forgive 
them who brought me to this untimely death. Hard 
as my falc is, I have made up my mind to forgive 
them, and do, I have been promised a lawyer to 
write my will —intend to appoint you my executor. 
If the British government permits it, I wish my body 



delivered to you a[id buried uii youi farm. I have 
no time to write more because I have great need of 
coinmunicating with my Creator to prepare myself 
for His presence. The time allowed me for this is 
short. My last wish to the Americans is, that ihey 
will not think of avenging my death. Let no ftirlher 
blood be shed. And believe me, from what I have 
seen, all the stories which were told of the sulVerings 
of the Canadian people were untrue. Give my love 
to your sister, and tell her that I think of her as I do 
of my own mother. May God reward her for her 
kindness. I further beg of you to take care of W. J. 
so that he m.ay find honorable bread. Farewell, my 
dear friends. May God bless you and protect you. 
" December 18. 

"N. VON SCHOULTZ." 

Joel Peeler and Sylvanus Sweet were exe- 
cuted, January II, 1839. Sylvester Lawton, 
Duncan Anderson, Christopher Buckley, Rus- 
sell Phel])s and Lyman H. Lewis were sent to 
the scaffold, February 11. They were fol- 
lowed by Martin Van Slyke, William O'Neal 
and James Cummings. The officers now 
having all been dealt with, they made quick 
work trying the men under them. The pris- 
oners were brouglit into court in squads of 
from ten to fifteen, and asked a few questions, 
and were then returned to their quarters. 
They all expected that their doom was sealed, 
and were anxiously awaiting their death war- 
rants. But a powerful influence was brought 
to bear upon Governor-General Arthur, and 
he finally decided that there would be no more 
executions, and went so far as to say that a 
number of them would be pardoned. The 
court had adjourned from January 4th to 
February 26th. The prisoners were allowed 
to receive visits from their friends, but under 
close guard. On the 8th of April the steamer 
"Commodore Barry"' arrived at Sackets 
Harbor with twenty-two prisoners, pardoned 
by the governor-general. And on the 27th 
of April, thirty-seven more pardoned prisoners 
arrived at the same place. All released were 
under twenty-one years of age. The balance 
of the men remained in the fort all summer, 
uncertain as to their fate, whether they would 
be pardoned or banished. On the 17th of 
Septetnber, 1839, orders were given to prepare 
for departure, and ninety-five of them were 
heavily ironed, placed in canal barges and 



1 62 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RJVER. 



taken to Montreal, and there, with another 
lot of prisoners, making about 150 in all, were 
put on board the ship '' Buffalo," bound for 
Van Dieman's Island. 

February 13, 1840, after an uneventful 
voyage, they landed in the harbor of Hobart 
'I'own. After the inspector had taken a de- 
scription of them, the governor. Sir John 
Franklin, who afterwards died during a voy- 
age of exploration to the Arctic region, came 
to see them, and after looking them over, 
read their sentence, which was banishment 
for life. He was happy to learn of the cap- 
tain of the " Buffalo " that they had behaved 
remarkably well during the voyage. He also 
informed them that they would be placed at 
hard labor on the public roads with other 
convicts, and that with good behavior, after 
three years, they would be granted tickets of 
leave, which would give them the liberty of 
the island. 

After three years of this service, they were 
granted tickets of leave, but were confined 
within certain limits, and obliged to report at 
the station every Saturday night. If they so 
desired, they could be changed from one dis- 
trict to another. The deliverance from the 
heavy work they had hitherto endured was a 
blessing, and gave them new life. A reward 
of a pardon and free passage to America hav- 
ing been offered by the governor to any of 
the convicts who would capture some bush- 
rangers who were infesting the island, W. 
Gates, Stephen Wright, Aaron Dresser and 
George Brown succeeded in discovering the 
hiding-place and capturing two of the rangers. 
They were pardoned, and, after a long voy- 
age, returned to America, having served five 
years of a convict's life. 

In September, 1845, the governor com- 
menced to deal out pardons of ten and fifteen 
at a time. He thought it not quite safe to 
liberate too many at once. During the year 
1846, all of the Canadian prisoners had re- 
ceived pardons excepting some few whose 
behavior did not entitle them to such a re- 
ward. 

Thus ended the Patriot war. It was not 
without some beneficent results to the 



Canadas, for the home government granted 
them a new charter, by which the provinces 
were united into a dominion with a parlia- 
ment. The Tories were defeated in the par- 
liament, and the Reform party, after driving 
them from power, assumed control of the 
State. Even the outlaw, William Lyon Mc- 
Kenzie, was restored to citizenship, and was 
for many years a member of parliament, and 
the premier of the government. A curious 
phase of the Patriot troubles was the effect on 
the political heads of National and State 
governments. President Van Buren and 
Governor Marcy were both soundly denounced 
by many newspapers for performing their 
duty in enforcing the neutrality laws, and lost 
many votes in the frontier States. Marcy was 
succeeded by Seward, and on the day the 
election of Harrison was announced in Wasli- 
ington, the boys shouted about the White 
House the refrain : "Van! Van! is a used-up 
man." And even General Scott attributed 
his failure to receive the Whig nomination at 
the Harrisburg National Convention to the 
machinations of Col. Solomon Van Rensse- 
laer, a delegate from New York, who held a 
spite against General Scott for having 
" squelched " his son, the general in com- 
mand at Navy Island. j. a. h. 



During the " Patriot " war, Watertown and 
the adjoining towns were filled with ex- 
patriated "Patriots" who had fled from 
Canada to avoid arrest and imprisonment for 
alleged treason. Watertown being the head- 
quarters of the Canadian leaders, William 
Lyon McKenzie, Van Rensselaer, and others, 
were located at the old stone Mansion House, 
kept by Luther Gilson, on the site of the 
present Iron block. The old hostelry was 
crowded with the patriots. During the early 
winter of 1838, the then governor-general of 
Upper Canada, who had been recalled from 
his position by the British government, was 
ordered to return. This notable official was 
Sir Francis Bond-Head, an ex-officer of the 
British army, and thoroughly despised in 
Canada. Wishing to reach New York to sail 
for England, he undertook to make the jour- 



THE "PATRIOT- WAR. 



163 



ney by stage to Utica via Watertown. Not 
desirous of meeting his expatriated subjects 
for fear of recognition and possible insult, he 
determined to pass through incognito. Leav- 
ing Kingston during the night, accompanied 
by a prominent citizen of that city, to whom 
he acted the part of valet (or gentleman's 
gentleman), he arrived safely next morning by 
wagon and driver, hired as an " extra." The 
driver, not being informed as to the quality or 



a bright and shrewd fellow. After a short 
time, Scanlon noticed that the valet was miss- 
ing, and his suspicions were aroused, so he 
began to hunt him up. After looking high 
and low and all around the public square 
without finding him, he continued to sean h 
elsewhere, and at last found the lost valet 
cosily sitting on a wheelbarrow near the 
stables. Walking up to the late governor- 
general, he recognized him at once. Intro- 




SIGNALING THE "NORTH KING," OF THE CANADIAN LINE, 



rank of his passengers, drove straight to the 
Mansion House, and landed his man at the 
headquarters of his enemies. It was just 
after the breakfast hour, and the lobby was 
filled with the Patriot community, who recog- 
nized the Kingston citizen and greeted him 
cordially, but did not recognize the valet, 
who discreetly kept in the back ground. 
Prominent among the Patriot leaders at the 
hotel was Hugh Scanlon, an Irish-Canadian, 



ducing himself, Scanlon invited him to break- 
fast and to meet his late subjects, assuring 
him that he would be welcome, and receive 
every courtesy due his rank. The governor 
accepted the invitation and came forward. 
He was met by all in a courteous and friendly 
way, and was assisted in his arrangements for 
departure. He left town in a coach and four, 
with cheers, and without a single uncompli- 
mentary remark. a. ,1. f. 



MR. JOHN A. HADDOCK'S 



CELEBRATED BALLOON VOYAGE WITH PROFESSOR LA MOUNTAIN. 



IT is now about thirty-five years since the 
undersigned made the memorable balloon 
voyage with Professor LaMountain — a voyage 
intended to be short and pleasant, but which 
resulted in a long and most disastrous one, 
entailing the loss of the valuable balloon, and 
seriously endangering the lives of the travel- 
lers. Since then, LaMountain, after serving 
through the great rebellion, has made his last 
" voyage," and has entered upon that exist- 
ence where all the secrets of the skies are as 
well defined and understood as are the course 
of rivers here on the earth. 

To fully understand my reasons for making 
the trip, some leading facts should be pre- 
sented : 

r. There had been, all through the year 
1S59, much excitement in the public mind 
upon the subject of ballooning. In August 
of that year, I returned from I,abrador, and 
found that the balloon Atlantic, with Wise, 
Hyde, Gaeger and LaMountain, had been 
driven across apart of Lake Ontario, while on 
their great trip from St. Louis to New York 
city, and had landed and been wrecked in 
Jefferson county, N. Y. , and the people of 
that whole section were consequently in a 
state of considerable excitement upon the sub- 
ject of navigating the air.* 

* The Wise named above w.ts the celebrated ;cro- 
naut, Professor John Wise, of Lancaster, Pa.; and I 
may here remark that the trip made by him and his 
associates is by far the longest on record. Leaving 
St. Louis at about 4 P. M., they passed the whole 
night in the air, were carried across the States of 
Illinois, Indiana, a portion of Ohio and Michigan, 
over the whole northwestern breadth of Pennsylva- 



2. I had heard of other newspaper editors 
making trips in balloons, had read their glow- 
ing accounts, and it seemed to me like a very 
cunning thing. Desiring to enjoy " all that 
was a-going,'' I naturally wanted a balloon 
ride, too, and therefore concluded to go, ex- 
pecting to be absent from home not more than 
ten or twelve hours at the longest, and to 
have a good time. Being a newspaper man, 
and always on the alert for news, I had also 
a natural desire to do all in my jiower to add 
to the local interest of my journal, and for 
that reason felt a willingness to go through 
with more fatigue and hazard than men are ex- 
pected to endure in ordinary business pursuits. 

3. I felt safe in going, as I knew that La- 
Mountain was an intrepid and successful 
aeronaut, and I thought his judgment was to 
be depended upon. How he was misled as to 
distance, and how little he knew, or any man 
can know, of air navigation, the narrative will 
readily demonstrate. 

nia and New York, and were at last wrecked in a 
huge tree-top near the shore of Lake Ontario, at 
about 3 P. M. the next d.ay, escaping with severe 
bruises, but without broken bones, after a journey 
of eleven hundred miles. These adventurers did 
not travel as fast, nor encounter the perils that 
awaited us, but they made a longer voyage. It was 
with this same balloon Atlantic that LaMountain and 
m3fseU made our trip; but it had been reduced one- 
third in size, and was as good as new. John Wise 
afterwards lost his life in a balloon, but just where 
he perished was never known. Gaeger was a manu- 
facturer of crockery, and he died in Massachusetts. 
Hyde is publishing a newspaper in one of the west- 
ern States. LaMountain died in his bed at Lansing- 
burgh, N. Y., about 1884. 



MR. JOHN A. HADDOCK'S CELEBRATED BALLOON VOYAGE. 



i6s 



Willi these explanations, I will proceed with 
my original narrative, nearly as written out at 
the time. 

Nearly every one in VVatertown is aware 
that the second ascension of the balloon At- 
lantic was advertised for the 20th of Septem- 
ber, 1859. The storm of that and the follow- 
ing day obliged the postponement of the 
ascension until the 22d. Every arrangement 
had been made for a successful inflation, and 
at 27 minutes before 6 p. m., the glad words 
"all aboard " were heard from LaMountain, 
and that distinguished aeronaut and myself 
stepped into the car. Many were the friendly 
hands we shook — many a fervent " God bless 
you," and " happy voyage," were uttered — 
and many handkerchiefs waved their mute 
adieus. " Let go all," and away we soared ; 
in an instant all minor sounds of earth had 
ceased, and we were lifted into a silent 
sphere, whose shores were without an echo, 
their silence equaled only by that of the 
grave. No feeling of trepidation was experi- 
enced ; an extraordinary elation took posses- 
sion of us, and fear was as far removed as 
though we had been sitting in our own rooms 
at home. 

Two or three things struck me as peculiar 
in looking down from an altitude of half a 
mile : the small appearance of our village 
from such a height and the beautiful mechani- 
cal look which the straight fences and oblong 
square fields of the farmers present. As we 
rose into the light, fleecy clouds, they looked 
between us and the earth like patches of snow 
we see lying upon the landscape in spring- 
time ; but when we rose a little higher the 
clouds completely shut out the earth, and the 
cold, white masses below us had precisely the 
same look that a mountainous snow-covered 
country does, as you look down upon it from 
a higher mountain. Those who have crossed 
the Alps — or have stood upon one of the 
lofty summits of the Sierra Nevada, and gazed 
down upon the eternal snows below and 
around them, will be able to catch the idea. 
In six minutes we were far above all the 
clouds, and the sun and we were face to face. 
We saw the time after that when his face 



would have been very welcome to us. In 
eight minutes after leaving the earth, the 
thermometer showed a fall of 24 degrees. It 
stood at 84 when we left. The balloon ro- 
tated a good deal, proving that we were as- 
cending with great rapidity. At 5:48 the 
thermometer stood at 42, and failing very 
fast. At 5:50 v^fe were at least two miles high 
— thermometer 34. 

An unpleasant ringing sensation had now 
become painful, and I filled both ears with 
cotton. At 5:52 we put on our gloves and 
shawls — thermometer 32. The wet sandbags 
now became stiff with cold — they were 
frozen. Ascending very rapidly. At 5:54 
thermometer 28, and falling. Here we caught 
our last sight of the earth by daylight. I 
recognized the St. Lawrence to the southwest 
of us, which showed we were drifting nearly 
north. At 6 o'clock we thought we were de- 
scending a little, and LaMountain directed 
me to throw out about 20 pounds of ballast. 
This shot us up again — thermometer 26, and 
falling very slowly. At 6:05 thermometer 
22 — my feet were very cold. The Atlantic 
was now full, and presented a most splendid 
sight. The gas began to discharge itself at 
the mouth, and its abominable smell, as it 
came down upon us, made me sick. A mo- 
ment's vomiting helped my case materially. 
LaMountain was suffering a good deal with 
cold. I passed my thick shawl around his 
shoulders, and put the blanket over our knees 
and feet. At 6:10 thermometer 18. We 
drifted along until the sun left us, and in a 
short time thereafter the balloon began to de- 
scend. We must have been, before we began 
to descend from this height, t,^ miles high. 
At 6:32 thermometer 23 ; rising. We were 
now about stationary, and thought we were 
sailing north of east. We could, we thought, 
distinguish water below us, but were unable 
to recognize it. At 6:38 we threw over a bag 
of sand, making 80 pounds of ballast dis- 
charged, and leaving about 120 pounds on 
hand. We distinctly heard a dog bark. 
Thermometer 28 — and rising rapidly. At 
6:45 ''''s thermometer stood at 33. 

At 6:50 it was dark, and I could make no 



t66 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



more memoranda. I put up my note book, 
pencil and watch, and settled down in the 
basket, feeling quite contented. From this 
point until next morning I give my experience 
from memory only. The figures given were 
made at the time indicated, and the thermo- 
metric variations can be depended on as quite 
accurate. 

We heard, soon after that, a locomotive 
whistle, and occasionally could hear wagons 
rumbling over the ground or a bridge, while 
the farmers' dogs kept up a continual baying, 
as if conscious there was something unusual 
in the sky. We sailed along, contented and 
chatty, until about half-past eight o'clock, 
when we distinctly saw lights below us, and 
heard the roaring of a mighty water-fall. We 
descended into a valley near a very high 
mountain, but, as the place appeared rather 
forbidding, we concluded to go up again. 
Over with 30 pounds of ballast, and sky-ward 
we sailed. In about 20 minutes we again de- 
scended, but this time no friendly light 
greeted us. We seemed to be over a dense 
wilderness, and the balloon was settling down 
into a small lake. We had our life-preservers 
ready for use, but got up again by throwing 
out all our ballast, except perhaps 20 pounds. 
LaMountain now declared it was folly to stay 
up any longer, that we were over a great wil- 
derness, and the sooner we descended the 
better. We concluded to settle down by the 
side of some tall tree, tie up, and wait until 
morning. In a moment we were near the 
earth, and as we gently descended I grasped 
the extreme top of a high spruce, which 
stopped the balloon's momentum, and we 
were soon lashed to the tree by our large 
drag-rope. 

We rolled ourselves up in our blankets, pa- 
tiently waiting for the morning. The cold 
rain spouted down upon us in rivulets from 
the great balloon that lazily rolled from side 
to side over our heads, and we were soon 
drenched and uncomfortable as men could 
be. After a night passed in great apprehen- 
sion and unrest, we were right glad to see the 
first faint rays of coming light. Cold and 
rainy the morning at last broke, the typical 



precursor of other dismal mornings to be 
spent in that uninhabited wilderness. We 
waited until 6 o'clock in hopes the rain would 
cease, and that the rays of the sun, by warm- 
ing and thereby expanding the gas in the bal- 
loon, would give us ascending power sufficient 
to get up again, for the purpose of obtaining 
a view of the country into which we had de- 
scended. The rain did not cease, and we 
concluded to throw over all we had in the 
balloon, except a coat for each, the life-pre- 
servers, the anchor and the compass. Over- 
board, then, they went — good shawls and 
blankets, bottles of ale and a flask of cordial, 
ropes and traps of all kinds. The Atlantic, 
relieved of this wet load, rose majestically with 
us, and we were able to behold the coun- 
try below. It was an unbroken wilderness of 
lakes and spruce — and I began then to fully 
realize that we had, indeed, gone too far, 
through a miscalculation of the velocity of the 
balloon. As the current vi^as still driving us 
towards the north, we dare not stay up, as we 
were drifting still farther and farther into 
trouble. LaMountain seized the valve-cord 
and discharged the gas, and we descended in 
safety to the solid earth. Making the Atlan- 
tic fast by her anchor, we considered what 
was to be done. 

We had not a mouthful to eat, no protection 
at night from the wet ground, were distant we 
knew not how far from any habitation, were 
hungry to start with, had no possible expecta- 
tion of making a fire, and no definite or satis- 
factory idea as to where we were. We had 
not even a respectable pocket knife, nor a pin 
to make a fish hook of — indeed, we \stx& 
about as well equipped for forest life as were 
the babes in the woods. 

After a protracted discussion, in which all 
our ingenuity was brought to bear upon the 
question of our whereabouts, we settled in our 
minds (mainly from the character of the tim- 
ber around us), that we were either in Joha 
Brown's tract, or in that wilderness lying be- 
tween Ottawa City and Prescott, Canada. If 
this were so, then we knew that a course south 
by eas'' would take us out if we had strength 
enough to travel the distance. 



MR. JOHN A. HADDOCK'S CELEBRATED BALLOON VOYAGE. 



167 



TRAMPING IN THE WOODS. 

Acting upon our conclusion, we started 
through the woods towards the south-east. 
After travelling about a mile we came to the 
bank of a small stream flowing from the west, 
and were agreeably surprised to find that 
some human being iiad been there before us, 
for we found the stumps of several small trees 
and the head of a half-barrel, which had con- 
tained pork. I eagerly examined the inspec- 
tion-stamp ; it read : 

"MESS PORK." 

"P. M." 

"Montreal." 

This settled the question that we were in 
Canada, as I very well knew that no Montreal 
inspection of pork ever found its way into the 
State of New York. Although the course we 
had adopted was to be a south-easterly one, 
we yet concluded to follow this creek to the 
westward, and all day Friday we travelled up 
its banks — crossing it about noon on a float- 
ing log, and striking on the southern shore, a 
" blazed " path, which led to a deserted lum- 
ber road, and it in turn bring us to a log 
shanty on the opposite bank. We had hoped 
this lumber road would lead us out into a 
clearing or a settlement, but a careful exami- 
nation satisfied us that the road ended here, 
its objective point evidently being the shanty 
on the other bank. We concluded to cross 
the creek to the shanty, and stay there all 
night. Collecting some small timbers for a 
raft, LaMountain crossed over safely, shoving 
the raft back to me. But my weight was 
greater than my companion's, and the frail 
structure sank under me, precipitating me 
into the water. I went in all over, but swam 
out, though it took all my strength to do so. 
On reaching the bank I found myself so 
chilled as scarcely to be able to stand. I 
took off all my clothes and wrung them as dry 
as I could. We then proceeded to the shanty, 
where we found some refuse straw, but it was 
dry, and under a pile of it we crawled — pull- 
ing it over our heads and faces, in the hope 
that our breath might aid in warming our 
chilled bodies. I think the most revengeful. 



stony heart would have pitied our condition 
then. I will not attempt to describe our 
thoughts as we lay there ; home, children, 
wife, parents, friends, with their sad and anx- 
ious faces, rose up reproaclifully before us as 
we tried to sleep. But the weary hours of 
night at last wore away, and at daylight we 
held a new council. It was evident, we ar- 
gued, that the creek we were upon was used 
by the lumbermen for " driving " their logs 
in the spring freshets. If, then, we followed 
it to its confluence with the Ottawa or some 
stream which emptied into the Ottawa, we 
would eventually get out the same way the 
timber went out. The roof of the shanty was 
covered with the halves of hollow logs, 
scooped out in a manner familiar to all woods- 
men. These were dry and light, and would 
make us an excellent raft. Why not, then, 
take four of these, tie them to cross-pieces by 
wythes and such odd things as we could find 
around the shanty, and pole the craft down 
stream to that civilization which even a saw- 
log appeared able to reach. Such, then, was 
the plan adopted, although it involved the re- 
tracing of all the steps hitherto taken, and an 
apparent departure from the course we had 
concluded would lead us out. 

Without delay, then, we dragged the hollow 
logs down to the creek, and LaMountain pro- 
ceeded to tie them togetlier, as he was more of 
a sailor than myself. We at last got under 
way, and, as we pushed off, a miserable crow 
set up a dismal cawing — an inauspicious sign. 
We poled down the stream about a mile, 
when we came abruptly upon a large pine 
tree which had fallen across the current, and 
completely blocking the passage of the raft. 
No other course was left us but to untie the 
raft, and push the pieces through under the 
log. This was at last accomplished, when we 
tied our craft together again, and poled down 
the stream. To-day each of us ate a raw frog 
(all we could find), and began to realize that 
we were hungry. Yet there was no com- 
plaining — our talk was of the hopeful future, 
and of the home and civilization we yet ex- 
pected to reach. Down the creek we went, 
into a lake some four miles long, and into 



1 68 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



which we of course supposed the stream to 
pass, with its outlet at the lower end. We 
followed down the northern bank, keeping 
always near the shore and in shallow water, so 
that our poles could touch the bottom, until 
we reached the lower extremity of the lake, 
where we found no outlet^ and so turned back 
upon the southern shore in quest of one. On 
reaching the head of the lake, and examining 
the stream attentively, we found that the cur- 
rent of the creek turned abruptly to the right, 
which was the reason of our losing it. We 
felt happy to have found our current again, 
and plied our poles like heroes. We passed, 
late in the afternoon, the spot where we had 
at first struck the creek, and where we stuck 
up some dead branches as a landmark which 
might aid us in case we should, at a future 
time, attempt to save the Atlantic. 

When night came on we did not stop, but 
kept the raft going down through the shades 
of awful forests, whose solemn stillness 
seemed to hide from us the unrevealed mys- 
, tery of our darkening future. During the 
morning the rain had ceased, but about lo 
o'clock at night it commenced again. We 
stopped the " vessel " and crawled in under 
some " tag " alders on the bank, where our 
extreme weariness enabled us to get, perhaps, 
half an hour's sleep. Rising again (for it was 
easier to pole the raft at night in the rain down 
an unknown stream amidst the shadows of 
that awful forest than to lie on the ground and 
freeze), we pressed on until perhaps 3 in 
the morning, when pure exhaustion compelled 
us to stop again. This time we found a spot 
where the clayey bank lacked a little of 
coming down to the water. On the mud we 
threw our little bundle of straw, and sat down 
with our feet drawn up under us, so as to 
present as little surface to the rain as possible. 
But we could not stand such an uncomfort- 
able position long, and as the daylight of the 
Sabbath broke upon us, we were poling down 
the stream in a drizzling rain. At 8 o'clock 
we reached a spot at which the stream nar- 
rowed, rushing over large boulders, and 
between rocky shores. This was trouble, 
indeed. To get our raft down this place, we 



regarded as well-nigh hopeless. We tied up 
and examined the shore. Here, again, we 
found unmistakable marks left by the lumber- 
men, they having evidently camped at this 
point, to be handy by in the labor of getting 
the timber over this bad spot in the stream. 
The rapids were about a third of a mile long, 
and very turbulent. After a protracted sur- 
vey we descended the bank, and thought it 
best to abandon our raft, and try our luck on 
foot again. After travelling about a mile, we 
found the bank so tangled and rugged, and 
ourselves so much exhausted, that satisfactory 
progress was impossible. So we concluded to 
go back, and if we could get the raft down, 
even one piece at a time, we would go on 
with her — if not, we would build as good a 
place as possible to shield us from the cold 
and wet, and there await with fortitude that 
death from starvation which was beginning to 
be regarded as a probability. This was our 
third day of earnest labor and distressing 
fatigue, and in all that time we had not eaten an 
ounce of food, nor had dry clothing upon us. 
Acting upon our resolution, we at once com- 
menced to get the raft down the rapids, and I 
freely confess that this was the most trying 
and laborious work of a whole life of labor. 
The pieces would not float over a rod at a 
time, before they would stick on some stone 
which the low water left above the surface, 
and then you must pry the stick over in some 
way, and pass it along to the next obstruction. 
We were obliged to get into the stream, often 
up to the middle, with slippery boulders be- 
neath our feet. Several times I fell headlong 
— completely using up our compass, which now 
frantically pointed in any direction its addled 
head took a fancy to. The water had unglued 
the case, and it was ruined. After long hours 
of such labor, we got the raft down, and La- 
Mountain again tied it together. Passing on, 
in about an hour, we came to a large lake, 
about ten miles long by six broad. Around it 
we must of course pass, until we should find 
the desired outlet. So we turned up to the 
right, and pressed on with as much resolution 
as we could muster. To-day we found one 
clam, which I insisted LaMountain should 



MR. JOHN A. HADDOCK'S CELEBRATED BALLOON VOYAGE. 



169 



eat, as he was much weaker than myself, and 
had eaten nothing on the day we went up. 

Part of this day LaMountain slept upon the 
raft, and I was " boss and all hands." As the 
poor fellow lay there, completely used up, I 
saw that he could not be of much more assist- 
ance in getting out. Erysipelas, from which 
he had previously suffered, had attacked his 
right eye ; his face was shriveled so that he 
looked like an old man, and his clothes 
were nearly torn from his body. A 
few tears could not be restrained, and 
my prayer was for speedy deliverance 
or speedy death. While my compan- 
ion was asleep, and I busily poling the 
raft along, I was forced to the con- 
clusion, after deliberately canvassing 
all the chances, that we were pretty 
sure to perish there miserably at last. 
But I could not cease my efforts while 
I had strength, and so around the 
lake we went, into all the indentations 
of the shore, keeping always in shallow 
water. The day at last wore away, 
and we stopped at night at a place we 
thought least e.xposed to the wind. 
We dragged the end of our raft out 
of the water, and laid down upon the 
cold ground. We were cold when we 
laid down, and both of us trembled 
by the hour, like men suffering from a 
severe attack of the ague. The wind 
had risen just at night, and the dismal 
surging of the waves upon the shore, 
formed, I thought, a fitting lullaby to 
our disturbed and dismal slumbers. 

By this time our clothes were nearly 
torn off. My pantaloons were split up 
both legs, and the waistbands nearly gone. My 
boots were mere wrecks, and our mighty wrest- 
lings in the rapids had torn the skin from ankles 
and hands. LaMountain's hat had disap- 
peared ; the first day out he had thrown away 
his woolen drawers and stockings, as they 
dragged him down by the weight of water 
they absorbed. And so we could sleep but 
little. It really seemed as though, during this 
night, we-passed through the horrors of death. 
But at daylight we got up by degrees, first on 



one knee and then on the other, so stiff and 
weak that we could hardly stand. Again 
upon the silent, monotonous lake, we went — 
following around its sliore for an outlet. 
About 10 o'clock we came to quite a broad 
northern stream, which we thought was the 
outlet we were seeking, and we entered it with 
joy, believing it would take us to our long 
sought Ottawa. Shortly after entering this 




THE POP-CORN MAN, KNOWN AS Or.n "JUST ABOUT. 

Stream it widened out, and began to appear 
like a mere lake. We poled up the westerly 
shore for about seven miles, but found our- 
selves again deceived as to the outlet — the 
water we were upon proving to be another 
lake or bayou. AVe had gone into this lake 
with the highest hopes, but when we found 
that all the weary miles of our morning travel 
had been in vain, and had to be retraced, my 
resolution certainly failed me for a moment. 
Yet we felt that our duty, as Christian men, 



170 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



was to press forward as long as we could 
stand, and leave the issue with a higher 
Power 

It had now been four full days since we ate 
a meal. All we had eaten in the meantime 
was a frog apiece, four clams and a few wild 
berries, whose acid properties and bitter taste 
had probably done us more harm than good. 
Our strength was beginning to fail very fast, 
and our systems were evidently undergoing 
an extraordinary change. I did not permit 
myself to think of food — the thought of a 
well-filled table would have been too much. 
My mind continually dwelt upon poor Strain's 
sufferings on the Isthmus of Darien (then 
lately published in Harper's Magazine). He, 
too, was paddling a raft down an unknown 
stream, half starved, and filled with dreadful 
forebodings. But I did not believe we could 
hold out half as long as he had. Besides, he 
was lost in a tropical country, where all 
nature is kind to man ; he had fire-arms and 
other weapons with which to kill game. We 
were in a cold, inhospitable land, without 
arms, and utterly unable to build a fire. 
Strain was upon a stream which he knew 
would eventually bear him to the sea and to 
safety ; while we were upon waters whose 
flow we positively knew nothing about, and 
were as much lost as though in the mountains 
of the moon. Yet we could not give it up 
so, and tried to summon up fresh courage as 
troubles appeared to thicken around us. So 
we turned the raft around, and poled it in 
silence back towards the place where we had 
entered this last lake. We had gone about a 
mile when we heard the sound of a gun, 
quickly followed by a second report. No 
sound was ever so sweet as that. We halloed 
as loud as we could, a good many times, but 
could get no response. We kept our poles 
going quite lively, and had gone about half a 
mile, when I called LaMountain's attention to 
what I thought was smoke curling up among 
the trees by the side of a hill. My own eye- 
sight had begun to fail very much, and I felt 
afraid to trust my dull senses in a matter so 
vitally important. LaMountain scrutinized 
the shore very closely, and said he thought it 



was smoke, and that he believed there was 
also a birch canoe on the shore below. In a 
few moments the blue smoke rolled unmis- 
takably above the tree tops, and we felt that 

WE WERE saved! 

Such a revulsion of feeling was almost too 
much. We could hardly credit our good 
fortune, for our many bitter disappointments 
had taught us not to be very sanguine. With 
the ends of our poles we paddled the raft 
across the arm of the lake, here, perhaps, 
three-quarters of a mile wide, steering for the 
canoe. It proved to be a large one, evidently 
an Indian's. Leaving LaMountain to guard 
and retain the canoe, in case the Indian proved 
timid and desired to escape from us, I pressed 
hurriedly up the bank, following the foot- 
prints I saw in the damp soil, and soon came 
upon the temporary shanty of a lumbering 
wood, from the rude chimney of which a 
broad volume of smoke was rising. I hal- 
loed — a noise was heard inside, and a noble- 
looking Indian came to the door. I eagerly 
asked him if he could speak French, as I 
grasped his outstretched hand. " Yes," he 
replied, " and English, too ! " He drew me 
into the cabin, and there I saw the leader of 
the party, a noble-hearted Scotchman named 
Angus Cameron. I immediately told my 
story ; that we had come in there with a bal- 
loon, were lost, and had been over four days 
without food — eagerly demanding to know 
where we were. Imagine my surprise when 
he said we were one hundred and eighty 
miles due north of OTTAWA, near 300 
miles from Watertown. to reach which would 
require more than 500 miles of travel, follow- 
ing the streams and roads. We were in a 
wilderness as large as three States like New 
York, extending from Lake Superior on the 
west, to the St. Lawrence on the east, and 
from Ottawa, on the south, to the Arctic 
circle. 

The party consisted of four persons — 
Cameron and his assistant, and a half-breed 
Indian (LaMab McDougal) and his son. 
Their savory dinner was ready. I immedi- 
ately dispatched the young Indian for La- 



MR. JOHN A. HADDOCK'S CELEBRATED BALLOON VOYAGE. 



171 



Mountain, who soon came in, the absohite 
picture of wretchedness. All that the cabin 
contained was freely offered us, and we 
REGAN TO EAT. Language is inadequate to 
express our feelings. Within one little hour 
the clouds had lifted from our sombre future, 
and we felt ourselves to be men once more 
— no longer houseless wanderers amid pri- 
meval forests, driven by chance from side 
to side, but inspired by the near certainty 
of seeing home again and mingling with 
our fellows once more in the busy scenes of 
life. 

We soon learned from Cameron that the 
stream we had traversed with our raft was 
called Filliman's creek — the large lake we 
were then near was called the Bos-ke-tong, 
and drains into the Bos-ke-tong river, which in 
turn drains into the Gatineau. The Gatineau 
joins the Ottawa opposite the city of that 
name, the seat of government of Canada. 
Cameron assured us that the Bos-ke-tong and 
Gatineau were so rapid and broken that no 
set of men could get a raft down, no matter 
how well they knew the country, nor how 
much provisions they might have. He re- 
garded our deliverance as purely providential, 
and many times remarked that we would cer- 
tainly have perished but for seeing the smoke 
from his fire. He was hunting timber for 
his employers, Gilmour & Co., of Ottawa, 
and was to start in two days down the Gati- 
neau for his headquarters at Desert. If we 
would stay there until he started we were 
welcome, he said, to food and accommoda- 
tions, and he would take us down to Desert 
in his canoe, and at that point we could get 
Indians to take us further on. He also said 
that he had intended to look for timber on 
Filliman's creek, near where the balloon 
would be found, as near as we could describe 
the locality to him, and would try to look it 
up and make the attempt to get it to Ottawa. 
This would be a long and tedious operation, 
as the portages are very numerous between 
the creek and Desert — something over 20 — one 
of them three miles long. Over these port- 
ages, of course, the silk must be carried on 
the backs of Indians. 



After eating all I dared to. and duly cau- 
tioning LaMountain not to hurt himself by 
over-indulgence, I laid down to sleep. Be- 
fore doing so, I had one of the men remove 
my boots, and when they came off, nearly the 
whole outer skin peeled off with the stock- 
ings. My feet had become parboiled by the 
continual soakings of four days and nights, 
and it was fully three months before they 
were cured. 

After finishing up his business in the 
vicinity where we found him, on Friday 
morning (our ninth day from home), Cameron 
started on his return. We stopped, on our 
way up the creek, at the spot where we had 
erected our landmark by which to find the 
balloon. We struck back for the place, and 
in about twenty minutes found her, impaled 
on the tops of four smallish spruce trees, and 
very much torn. LaMountain concluded to 
abandon her. He took the valve as a me- 
mento, and I cut out the letters " TIC," which 
had formed part of her name, and brought 
the strip of silk home with me. We reached 
what is known as the " New Farm " on Friday 
night, and there ended our sleeping on the 
ground. Up by early dawn, and on again, 
through the drenching rain, reaching Desert 
on Saturday evening. 

At Desert we were a good deal troubled to 
obtain Indians to take us further on. La- 
Mab McDougal had told his wife about the 
baloon, and she, being superstitous and igno- 
rant, had gossipped with the other squaws, 
and told them the balloon was a " flying 
devil." As we had traveled in this flying 
devil, it did not require much of a stretch of 
Indian credulity to believe that if we were 
not the Devil's children we must at least be 
closely related. In this extremity we appealed 
to Mr. Backus*, a kind-hearted American 

* Something quite curious grew out of ray naming 
Mr. Henry Backus as having assisted us at the 
mouth of the Desert river. My account was gener- 
ally published throughout the country, and some ten 
days after our return I received a letter from a lady 
in Massachusetts asking me to describe to her the 
man Backus, as that was the name of her long- 
absent son, who, twenty years before, had disap- 
peared from home, and had never afterwards been 



172 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



trader, who agreed to procure us a comple- 
ment of redskins, who would take us to 
Alexis le Beau's place (sixty miles down the 
river), where it was thought we could obtain 
horses. Sunday morning (our eleventh day 
from home), we started from Desert, and 
reached Alexis le Beau's just at night. The 
scenery upon this part of the route was sub- 
lime and imposing. The primeval forest 
stood as grand and silent as when created. 
Our Indians, too, surpassed anything I ever 
beheld, in physical vigor and endurance. In 
the day's run of sixty miles, there were six- 
teen portages to be made. On reaching one 
of these places, they would seize the canoe as 
quick as we stepped out of it, jerk it out of 
the water and on to their shoulders in half a 
minute, and start upon a dog trot as uncon- 
cernedly as though bearing no burthen. Ar- 
riving at the foot of the portage, they would 
toss the canoe into the stream, steady it until 
we were seated, then spring in and paddle 
away, gliding down the stream like an arrow. 
In the morning we traveled fifteen miles and 
made seven portages in one hour and forty 
minutes. 

At Alexis le Beau we first beheld a vehicle 
denominated a " buckboard " — a wide, thick 
plank reaching from one bolster of the wagon 
to the other, and upon the middle of which 
plank the seat was placed. This sort of con- 
veyance is often used in new countries, being 
very cheap, and within the reach of ordinary 
mechanical skill. Starting off as soon as we 
could get something to eat, we travelled all 
night through the forest, over one of the worst 
roads ever left unfinished, and reached Brooks' 
farm, a sort of frontier tavern, in the early 
morning, where we slept a couple of hours, 

heard from. I answered the letter immediately, and 
soon after learned tli.it the man proved to be her 
son, and that he had promised to come home. 
What had driven him away from civilization to live 
among the Indians, w.is best known to himself. 
But a man of his generous impulses might have 
been an ornament to society, and a blessing to his 
friends. [This note was written the next week after 
we escaped from the wilderness. The article 
following this treats of Backus' experience quite 
exhaustively.] 



and after breakfast pressed oh by the rough 
frontier stage towards Ottawa. 

While the stage was stopping to-day to 
change horses, I picked up a newspaper at 
Her Britannic Majesty's colonial frontier post- 
office, and in it read an account of our ascen- 
sion and positive loss, with a rather flattering 
obituary notice of myself. And then, for the 
first lime, I began to comprehend the degree 
of concern our protracted absence had aroused 
in the public mind. And if the public felt 
this concern, what would be the degree of 
pain experienced by wife, children, parents, 
friends ? These reflections spurred us for- 
ward — or rather, our money induced the 
drivers to hurry up their horses • — ^and at last, 
on the twelfth day of our absence, at about 
five o'clock in the afternoon, we jumped off 
the stage in front of the telegraph office in the 
good city of Ottawa, whence, in less than five 
minutes, the swift lightning was speeding a 
message to home and friends. That was a 
happy moment — the happiest of all my life — 
when I knew that within thirty minutes my 
family would know of my safety. 

I do not know how the people of Ottawa 
so soon found out who we were — but suppose 
the telegraph operator perhaps told someone ; 
and that "some one" must have told the 
whole town, for in less than half an hour 
there was a tearing, excited, happy, inquisi- 
tive mass of people in front of the grand 
hotel there — the clerk of which, when he 
looked at our ragged clothes and bearded 
faces, at first thought he "hadn't a single 
room left," but who, when he found out that 
we were the lost balloon men, wanted us to 
have the whole hotel, free and above board, 
and had tea and supper and lunch, and " just 
a little private supper, you know ! " following 
each other in rapid, yet most acceptable suc- 
cession. The happy crowd in the hotel and 
upon the street were determined to shake 
hands with us every one, and nearly all 
wanted to give or loan us money. Pretty 
soon the newspaper men and some personal 
acquaintances began to press through the 
crowd, and some cried while others laughed 
and huzzahed. Indeed, every one acted as if 



MR. JOHN A. /fADDOCK'S CELEBRATED /lALLOO.V lOVAGE. 



'73 



they had just "found something!" And 
such is human nature always, when its noble 
sympathies are aroused for the suffering or 
distressed. 

Although the jaresident of the Ottawa and 
Prescott Railroad (Robert Bell, Esq.), volun- 
teered to send us on by a special engine that 
night, we thought it best (inasmucii as our 
friends had been informed of our safety), to 
stay at Ottawa until morning. It did seem as 
though the generous people of that city could 
not do enough for us, and their kind atten- 



hibit unmistakable evidence of llie deep in- 
terest felt in our fate. At Watertown, which 
had been my home from boyhood, the enlhu- 
siasm had reached fever heat, and tlie whole 
town was out lo greet the returning aeronauts. 
They had out the old cannon on the Public 
Square, and it belched forth the loudest kind 
of a welcome. My family had, of course, suf- 
fered deeply by my absence. Everybody had 
given us up for dead, except my wife. I felt 
very cheap about the whole thing, and was 
quite certain that I had done a very foolish 




BAY IN LA RUE ISLAND, CANADIAN CHANNEL. 



tion and disinterested enthusiasm will never 
be forgotten. 

Well, the next morning we left Ottawa, and 
were quickly carried to Prescott; thence 
across the St. I^awrence river to Ogdensburg. 
Here a repetition of the same friendly greet- 
ings took place ; and at last, after a hearty 
dinner, we left for home, now distant only 
seventy-five miles by rail. All along the line 
of the road we found enthusiastic crowds 
awaiting our coming, and all seemed to ex- 



act. Not so the people — they thought it a 
big thing to have gone through with so much, 
and yet come out alive. 



Several general conclusions and remarks 
shall terminate this narrative, already too 
long. "Why did you permit yourselves to go 
so far?" will naturally be asked. To this 
inquiry I reply : that the wind was exceed- 
ingly light when we ascended ; that we were 
very soon among the clouds, and consequently 



174 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



unable to take cognizance of our course, or to 
judge how fast we were travelling. It should 
be distinctly understood that when you are 
sailing in a balloon, you are unconscious of 
motion and progress, unless you can see the 
earth. Even when you first leave the earth, 
you seem to be stationary, while the earth ap- 
pears to drop away from you. Nor can you, 
when out of sight of the earth, although you 
may have a compass, judge of the direction 
you are travelling, if travelling at all. In a 
few words, unless you can see the earth, you 
cannot tell how fast nor in what direction you 
are travelling. This, perhaps, better than 
anything else will explain why we uncon- 
sciously drifted off to latitudes so remote. 
When we arose above the thick mass of clouds, 
before sundown, we undoubtedly struck a 
rapid current that carried us north-east, and 
after we had travelled in this current about an 



hour, we probably struck anotner current, 
from the variation of our altitude, which bore 
us off to the north-west, for the place where 
we landed is about thirty miles west of due 
north from where we ascended. 

When we first desended near the earth, and 
saw lights and heard dogs barking, we should 
have landed. But we were unwilling to land 
at night in a deep wood, even though we knew 
that inhabitants were near by, and we thought 
it best to pick out a better place. This was 
our error ; and it came near being a fatal one 
to us — it was certainly so to the balloon. 
In trying to find our "better place" to land, 
we were up longer than we supposed, and as 
we were travelling in a current that bore us 
off to the northward at the rate of loo miles 
an hour, we soon reached a "oint beyond the 
confines of civilization. 



THE AWAKENING OF HENRY BACKUS. 



A ROMANCE OF THE BALLOON JOURNEY OF HADDOCK AND LA MOUNTAIN. 



IN the preceding account of the balloon voy- 
age made by LaMountain and Haddock 
into the Bos-ke-tong wilderness of Canada in 
September, 1859, allusion was made by the 
writer to one Henry Backus. The early his- 
tory of this man and the peculiar manner in 
which he was restored to civilized society and 
to his mother, from whom he had foolishly 
separated himself twenty years before, forms 
a story which would be called a " romance " 
were it not founded upon actual facts. 

LaMountain and myself made our balloon 
ascension from Watertown, N. Y. , and were 
carried by a swift northerly current far beyond 
the bounds of civilization, landing in that im- 
mense forest in Canada, which is larger than 
the great States of New York, Pennsylvania 
and Ohio combined, and limited on the north 
only by Labrador and the Arctic circle. 
Having been rescued from starvation and 
probable death by the brave Cameron and his 



of the wilderness," that frontier post of the 
Hudson Bay Company, known as Desert, 
where we were detained by inability to pro- 
cure Indians for the further prosecution of 
our journey, because one of Cameron's In- 
dians, who lived at Desert had circulated a 
story among his associates that we had come 
into that wilderness in a "flying devil," which 
had fallen from the sky. Naturally supersti- 
tious and densely ignorant, these boatmen 
readily concluded that we were really children 
of the Devil himself, and undesirable people 
to work for, even if well paid. We were very 
impatient at the detention, and Cameron, who 
could take us no farther towards Ottawa, ad- 
vised us to consult one Henry Backus, the 
local trader, who might be able to help us, for 
he sold '' fire-water " to the Indians and had 
great influence with them. To Backus' little 
store, then, we went, and found him some- 
what hard to approach, as if he were suspi- 



Indian guides, whom we providentially en- cious of any attempt at intimacy; but when 
countered, we had reached, on our way " out we told him our trouble and urgently solicited 



THE AWAKENING OF HENRY EACKUS. 



1/5 



his good offices, lie appeared anxious and will- 
ing to aid us. He struck me as being too in- 
telligent and well educated for the position he 
was filling, as a small trader in so remote a 
place, but we were too much concerned with 
our own plans for reaching civilization to 
scrutinize him very closely. He knew just 
how to deal with the ignorant river men, and 
soon had a crew selected who promised to de- 
part with us at early daybreak, so that we 
might reach Alexis-le-Beau before nightfall. 
The promise was redeemed, and in the morn- 
ing we departed, and Backus saw us no more, 
but from one of us he was yet to hear. 



Who was Henry Backus.'' To answer this 
inquiry I must take the reader back more than 
fifty years, to 1S37, when there lived in 
Western Massachusetts a family named Han- 
cock, consisting of the parents and two 
daughters, sixteen and eighteen years of age, 
the elder named Mabel, the youngest Harriet. 
It is with Mabel we have more particularly to 
deal. She was above the average in beauty 
of person, bright and engaging, and, like 
most of her sex, well aware of her good 
points, and not by any means unmindful of 
the admiration she elicited from the young 
men of her neighborhood. As a result, she 
was often invited to the merry-makings of 
that section, accompanied sometimes by one, 
sometimes by another young gentleman — but 
for a long time she gave none of her admirers 
any special preference. In her twentieth year, 
when the heart is said to be the most suscep- 
tible, she had two admirers who had dis- 
tanced her hitherto numerous gallants, and 
whenever she went to church or to the country 
parties, one or the other of these was always 
her attendant. Henry Backus, one of these 
young men, was rather a silent and reserved, 
but really handsome young man of twenty- 
two, well-educated in the country schools, 
active and enterprising, the comfort of his 
mother, who was a widow and the owner of a 
good farm, left her by her husband. Henry 
was somewhat in appearance like an Indian, 
tall and dark-skinned, and there was a tradi- 
tion that the Backus family, a hundred years 



before, had been crossed by Narraganset 
blood. 

Be that as it may, Henry was observant but 
silent, seldom gay and never frivolous, but he 
was popular among his companions, who gave 
him their full confidence, for they knew he 
meant all he said, and that his word was as 
good as most other men's bond. His com- 
petitor in Mabel's good graces was equally 
regarded, but in a different way. Witty, 
agreeable, full of vivacity and animal spirits, 
James Atwell was the life of every social gath- 
ering, greatly admired by the girls, and wel- 
come in every circle. Although a year older 
than Henry Backus, he had not yet settled 
down to any serious pursuit, which, in his 
case, was thought to be a necessity, as his 
father had never accumulated more than a 
mere subsistence. James had twice left home, 
and had spent a whole year in a dry goods 
store at Worcester, Mass., but he had given 
up that business as too confining. He had 
also taught the district school one winter, but 
was thought deficient in discipline, and was 
not asked to teach a second time. While 
nothing could be said against him, the older 
people rated him much below Backus in pros- 
pective usefulness and position. The girls 
considered him as "just too nice for any- 
thing," but thought, and some of them said, 
that Henry Backus was " an old cross-patch." 
They unanimously predicted that James At- 
well would have a " walk-over " in the contest 
for supremacy in Mabel's affections. But this 
prediction did not have any speedy fulfilment, 
as both the young men were equally well re- 
ceived at the Hancock mansion, and so a 
whole year wore away without any material 
change in the relation of these young people 
to one another, but close observers saw that 
Backus was wonderfully smitten with Mabel, a 
fact which he did not try to conceal. Yet it 
gave his mother considerable concern, for she 
well knew the intensity of his nature, and how 
restless he became under even slight disap- 
pointments. 

A change, however, was soon to come. 
While returning from a dancing party in the 
winter of 1S38, Henry proposed, and was at 



176 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



least partially accepted by Mabel as her future 
husband. At her request the partial agree- 
ment was to be kept a secret, much against 
Henry's wish, but he loved the girl too much 
to deny her anything. While this understand- 
ing was being faithfully observed between 
ihem, invitations came for the grand winter 
wind up dancing party, to be held at the 
county town, and Henry was duly accepted as 
Mabel's escort thither. When the evening of 
the party drew on, he started in his sleigh for 
his companion, but the snow was deep, and in 
trying to turn out for a loaded team his cutter 
was upset, himself thrown out, and the horse 
ran away. It took fully two hours to recover 
the horse and reach the Hancock mansion, 
and then only to find that Mabel had become 
tired of the delay, and, in a moment of pique, 
had accepted James Atwell's proffered escort 
and gone to the dance with him. Backus was 
thunderstruck, and finally burst into a passion 
of tears, due as much, probably, to the excite- 
ment he Iiad just passed through, as to the 
unexpected departure of Mabel with his rival. 
His jealousy was terribly aroused, and he at 
once reached the conclusion that his delay had 
been gladly taken advantage of by her in 
order to accept the company of one whom 
she loved more than himself. He did not go 
to the dance, nor would he make much reply 
to Mrs. Hancock's trembling efforts to put 
Mable's action in a favorable light, but went 
straight home and made such explanations as 
he could to his tearful mother. Talk as she 
might, she could not move him from a sullen 
fit of depression, which the night did not wear 
away, and in the morning he harnessed his 
horse and drove away, with a determination to 
have a final understanding with Mabel. He 
demanded that their betrothment should be 
made public, and be sanctioned by her parents. 
That young lady bore herself during the inter- 
view with considerable independence, declar- 
ing herself as satisfied with what she had done, 
and captiously declined to ask her parents to 
ratify their engagement, which she declared 
was not considered as final, but rather as a 
matter subject to further contingencies, in all of 
which she developed a feminine spirit of conten- 



tion so characteristic of that sex. After much 
talk and expostulation they parted in anger, 
utterly estranged — -she most likely believing 
that it would result in a lover's reconciliation, 
and never dreaming that she would not soon 
see Henry Backus again. But with him the 
case was closed. He felt that he had loved 
and lost, and that, in the eyes of his acquaint- 
ances, he had been made a fool of by a heart- 
less woman. His fine sleigh was not used 
again that winter. The social parties missed 
him, and as the trouble between the lovers 
gradually came out (but though never a word 
from him), the country people took two sides 
in discussing the matter, nearly all the women 
upholding Henry; and the men, more gallant, 
taking the part of Mabel. But she, too, went 
no more abroad, refusing even to see James 
Atwell, though he both called and wrote. 
Doubtless, like many another, she felt a secret 
desire to repossess what she had recklessly 
thrown away, and felt too"proud to make any 
effort towards a reconciliation. 

Try as lie would, young Backus failed to 
take his former interest in life. His mother's 
tearful face would at times force liim to active 
exertion on their farm, but it was plain to be 
seen that his spirit was broken, and that a 
sullen despondency had taken possession of 
his mind. Having struggled along through 
the summer's work and the harvesting, he 
besought his mother to let him hire a steady 
young man to do the farm work, and then be 
allowed to go away for a while. His mother, 
thinking a change of scene would help her 
son, reluctantly gave her consent, and late in 
November, Henry left his home to become a 
wanderer. But travel as long and as far as 
he could, he found it impossible to get rid of 
himself. His burden would not be cast off. 
For a month he remained at Albany, and then 
went north to Watertown, Prescott and 
Ogdensburg, N. Y., and finally to Ottawa, in 
Canada. The Indian strain of blood, which 
it was said he had inherited, began definitely 
to assert itself, more vigorously, perhaps, at 
the sight of the adjacent forests, and he re- 
solved to leave civilization behind him and 
forget that busy world where he had been 



THE AWAKENING OF HENRY BACKUS. 



177 



so sadly deceived, and with whicli he now 
had so little affiliation. 

Those who have visited Ottawa will remem- 
ber the dense forest which environs that 
delightful city beyond the rapid river towards 
the north. Within a few miles of this Cana- 
dian capital you can readily lose yourself in 
the dense growth of trees ; and into this then 
almost unbroken wilderness Henry Backus 
launched himself, fully resolved never again 
to live among civilized men. Farther and 
farther he journeyed, until the stage route 
dwindled to mere " buckboard " travel, then 
to solitary paths marked by blazed trees, until 
Alexis-le-Beau, upon the Upper Gatineau, was 
reached, and then up that rapid stream he 
pressed a hundred miles to Desert, which was 
a mere fringe of clearing in that almost un- 
broken primeval forest. There Backus passed 
the late spring and summer. Gradually the 
need of employment for his mind and strength 
asserted itself, and he built a small log cabin 
with store-room in front, and began to trade 
with the Indians for their furs. When winter 
came on he made a journey out from the 
woods to Ottawa, where he perfected an ar- 
rangement for the annual sale of his peltry 
and for a regular consignment to him of such 
goods as his trade at Desert demanded. He 
was gone a month, and on his return took up 
his daily life as before, a solitary, independ- 
ent, silent man. I leave the imagination of 
the reader to depict his feelings, his yearn- 
ings for his mother, his moments of frantic 
love for Mabel Hancock, his resolve to break 
the spell that was upon him and return to his 
old home and friends, and for the reader to 
comprehend the depth of a nature that could 
endure in silence a disappointment so bitter. 

For a long time Mrs. Backus expected to 
see Henry walk into the house almost any 
day. She managed her farm much better 
than she had expected, saving something 
every year. After five years had passed, she 
lost faith in Henry's return, and almost gave 
him up as dead. She fell sick, and was in 
bed for a long time ; then it was that Mabel 
Hancock developed the good that was in her. 
Humbly she went to the sick woman's bed- 



side, confessed her undying love for Henry, 
took all the blame ii[)on herself for his de- 
parture and long absence, and volunteered to 
nurse Mrs. Backus through her sickness. At 
first she was not at all drawn towards the girl, 
but her remorse and self-condemnation so 
plainly attested her sincerity that she was per- 
mitted to remain. She soon became a perma- 
nent fixture at Henry's old home^ and so won 
the mother's heart that they never separated. 
Jointly they managed the farm, and became 
so knit together by mutual regard that 
strangers looked upon them as mother and 
daughter. James Atwell had married Har- 
riet and they had moved away, but Mabel did 
not attend her sister's wedding. Woman- 
like, she cast upon Atwell most of the blame 
for the unfortunate separation from her lover, 
when, in fact, she was the one mainly at 
fault, though there were those who thought 
Henry Backus himself not without grave 
responsibility for the turn affairs had taken. 
And so the years wore on until Mabel was 
nearly 40 years of age — comely in figure, but 
with a sad face, seldom lit by a smile. Her 
constant prayer was that she might be able 
to pay back to Henry's mother that fealty 
and support which had been lost when an un- 
wise and needless quarrel had driven away 
her son. 



The coming of the balloon men made an 
abiding impression upon Backus. He felt a _ 
return of that longing for home which he 
thought he had entirely conquered. He even 
found himself full of self-accusation, because 
he had not volunteered to personally accom- 
pany them to Ottawa, for from there he could 
have telegraphed or written to his mother. 
He found it difficult to put aside the influence 
these two eager, pushing men had exerted 
upon him. They were resolutely bent upon 
returning to that civilization he had been so 
willing to leave, and he began to feel a con- 
viction that they were right in their course 
and that he had been wrong in his. For three 
weeks this struggle went on in his heart until 
he began to realize the selfishness and folly of 
his course. He felt like loathing his sur- 



178 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LA IV REN CE RIVER. 



roundings as wholly unworthy one who had in 
his yoiuh given such ample promise of useful- 
ness and honor. Hard as was the struggle, 
however, and much as he felt the value of 
what he had too ruthlessly cast away 20 years 
before, it might have been doubtful what 
course he would ultimately have taken had 
not Providence unmistakably warned him that 
he was trifling with his own best interests, to 
say nothing of his disregard of filial duty. 

About the middle of October, 1859, a party 
of river men, an their way up from Alexis-le- 
Beau, the nearest postoffice, brought him a 
letter, which may have read as follows : 

At Home, October 10, 1859. 

My Dear Son, if indeed you are my son : I read 
last week in the Springfield Republican an account of 
the adventures of the lost balloon men, who gave 
credit to one Henry Bacl^us, a trader at Desert, on 
the Gatineau river, in Canada, for having aided them 
in their efforts to return to their homes. My heart 
prompted me to write to Mr. Haddock, at Water- 
town, N. Y., for a description of this Henry Backus, 
and Mr. H. immediately answered my letter. Mak- 
ing full allowance for the changes 20 jears may have 
made, I feel quite hopeful that you are my long lost 
and deeply mourned son. If so, do not delay an 
hour, but come home before it is too late to see your 
poor mother, now past her 6oth year, but whose 
prayer has ever been for her absent son. 

Mabel Hancock has lived with me for the past iS 
years. She is my stay and greatest comfort, and she 
desires me to enclose a word from her. for we are 
more and more convinced that you are my lost son. 
My heart is too full to write more, but if you are my 
son hasten to my arms, for a fresh disappointment 
or long delay may prove too much for my poor 
strength. Affectionately, your mother, 

Rachel Backus. 

The note enclosed was from Mabel; it read; 

Dearest Friend — If you are that Henry Backus 
to whom I was once betrothed in marriage, I feel 
that I owe much in the way of apology for the treat- 
ment you received at my hands when I was a young 
and inexperienced girl. My past life I offer as an 
evidence of my feelings towards you then and now ; 
yet that life for many years has been a burden, 
which I could only have borne for your dear 
mother's sake. If you are the lost one j'ou cannot 
be too quick in hastening to your true home, for 
your mother is not long for this world. 

Your attached friend, 

Mabel Hancock. 



If Backus had been tardy in carrying out 
the plans which the coming of the lost balloon 
men appeared to proinpt, he was on fire now 
with impatience, and counted every hour as 
lost that kept him from the telegraph. Plac- 
ing a trusted clerk in charge of his business, 
he packed up his important papers, and, on 
the morning of the fourth day, was in Ottawa, 
sending a message to distant Berkshire that 
he was indeed the lost son, who had come to 
himself and would soon be there. 



Having thus far dealt in facts, I will invite 
the reader himself to imagine that meeting, 
when Backus found under the same roof his 
beloved mother and that Mabel Hancock who 
was thenceforth to reign as the undisputed 
idol of his heart. The natural inclination of 
a newspaper editor to follow out any incident 
of more than passing interest with which he 
had become interested, impelled me to make 
inquiry of Backus' subsequent career, as well 
as of all that might shed any light upon his 
history before we met him at Desert. On the 
1st of January following his return, he and 
Mabel Hancock were married, and the whole 
neighborhood shared in the merry-making. 
He soon sold his possession at Desert, and 
settled down in a prosperous career, becoming 
a leading citizen of his native county. Him- 
self and wife were noted for their hospitality 
and open-handed charity, and it was especi- 
ally remarked that they were exceedingly 
lenient in their treatment of anyone who had 
lapsed from duty or against whom society 
held its doors askance. The poor and the 
outcast found ready sympathy with them, and 
no hungry wayfarer was ever sent away un- 
filled. 

The casual reader may not be much im- 
pressed with the extraordinary means through 
which Henry Backus came to be fuU " awak- 
ened '' to his true condition, but those who 
take a broader view of these incidents can, 
perhaps, discover in them the workings of that 
Supreme Omniscience which notes even the 
fall of a sparrow. 



THE WAR OF 1755. 



WITH AN ALLUSION TO THE "LOST CHANNEL." 



/J^THE most formidable military display 
^1 which ever swept over the waters of the 
St. Lawrence, was that of 1760, commanded 
by Gen. Jeffrey Lord Amherst. It consisted, 
according to Knox, of the ist and 2d battal- 
ions of the Royal Highlanders, the 44th, 
46th, and 55th regiments of the line, the 4th 
battalion of the 60th, eight companies of the 
77th, five companies of the 80th, 579 Gren- 
adiers, 597 Light Infantry, three battalions of 
the New York regiment, four battalions of the 
Connecticut regiment, a regiment from New 
Jersey, 146 Rangers, 157 of the Royal Artil- 
lery, and a force of Indians under Sir Wil- 
liam Johnson, the whole amounting to an 
effective force of 10,142 men. The trans- 
portation for this army, consisted of two 
armed vessels, the Onondaga and the Mo- 
hawk; the first, under the immediate com- 
mand of Capt. John Loring, who was also 
admiral of the fleet, was armed with four 
nine-pounders, and fourteen sixes, with a 
crew of 100 men. The second carried sixteen 
sixes, and a crew of ninety men; and in addi- 
tion to these, there were seventy-two whale- 
boats, and 177 batteaux. Several of the 
whaleboats were armed with a gun each, and 
some of the batteaux carried howitzers. Be- 
sides these, there were staff, hospital and 
sutler's boats, the whole to quote from a 
writer of that time, who was an eye witness, 
"making a most imposing array." 

The primary object of the expedition, was 
the capture of Montreal, it being one of three 
set on foot for that purpose; but its imme- 
diate destination was Fort Levis, a strong 
French fortification the ruins of which are yet 



to be seen, on what is now called " Chimney 
Island," in the St. Lawrence river, a few 
miles below Ogdensburg, which was known to 
the French as "La Presentation." At that 
time. Fort Levis, was the only French strong- 
hold above Montreal, and its reduction was a 
military necessity. The fort, according to the 
historian Mante, was begun early in 1759, by 
Chevalier de Levis, who was afterward a Mar- 
shal of France, and completed by Captain 
Pouchot, by whom it was so ably defended. 
This officer arrived at the fort in March, and 
proceeded to put it in as complete a condition 
for defense as was possible with the means at 
hand. On taking command, he found it gar- 
risoned by 150 militia, six Canadian officers, 
some colonial cadets, and M'Bertrand an offi- 
cer of artillery. A reinforcement of 100 men 
was sent him from below, but of these, twenty 
soon deserted, carrying away with them the 
batteaux belonging to the fort. One of these 
deserters was a lad named Pierre Rigand. A 
few days later his father brought him back, 
feeling deeply the disgrace consequent upon 
having a son who was a deserter. 

It would be a pleasure to find that Capt. 
Pouchot's Memoirs, in which this incident is 
related, has been able to add that the young 
man fought bravely, wiped out the disgrace of 
desertion and returned to the arms of his 
father, who not only forgave him but received 
him with open arms and affectionate pride; 
but they do not. They only state that: "In 
the battle which followed, Pierre Rigand was 
killed." 

As it is no part of our intention to enter 
into a minute description of the investment 



I So 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



and capture of the fort, we shall content our- 
selves with a description of the expedition as 
related by its historian, in its progress down 
the St. Lawrence river. On the yth of August, 
1760, Capt. Loring with his two vessels sailed 
from Oswego for Grenadier Island,, at the foot 
of Lake Ontario. Following in boats were 
the Royal Highlanders and Grenadiers, com- 
manded by Lieut. Col. Massey; the light in- 
fantry under Lieut. Col. Amherst, with two 
companies of Rangers, the whole under the 
command of Colonel Haldimand, who after- 
ward succeeded Sir Guy Carleton, as Gover- 
nor-General and Commander in-Chief in 
Canada. On the loth, Gen. Amherst himself 
embarked with the remainder of the troops, 
being joined the next day by Gen. Gage with 
the Provincial troops, among which was a 
Connecticut regiment under the command of 
Lieut. -Col., afterward Brigadier-Gen. Israel 
Putnam. On the 13th of August, 1760, the 
whole army was encamped on Grenadier 
Island, and their boats safely moored in Basin 
Harbor. 

By noon of the 14th, everything was in 
readiness to move, and the troops were ordered 
to get their dinners and then embark at once. 
At two o'clock they were sweeping down the 
south channel of the St. Lawrence in two 
lines of boats which reached almost from 
shore to shore. It was an inspiring sight. 
The long lines of boats, decorated with flags 
and streamers and guidons, the rowers keep- 
ing time with their oars to the music of the 
military bands, relieved at times by the bugles 
of the Grenadiers and the pipes of the Scotch 
Highlanders, while the two vessels, the Onon- 
daga and Mohawk, led the advance. 

But the French were not asleep. For some 
time a squad of soldiers, under the command 
of a lieutenant, had been stationed on Isle aux 
Chevreuils, now Carlton Island, from the 
high grounds of which a splendid view of the 
lake is to be had, as a corps of observation. 
With this squad was a small body of Indian 
scouts, one or two of whom, in swift canoes, 
were detached at intervals to the fort below 
to warn its commander of tlie approach of the 
English army. Waiting until the entire fleet 



had entered the river, so that there was no 
longer any doubt as to its destination, the 
lieutenant and his men went on board a 
batteau, and rowed away down the river. It 
was this batteau which led Capt. Loring of 
the Onondaga into trouble. But we will let 
an extract from the journal, kept by the gal- 
lant captain, tell the tale: 

"Aug. 14th. — Tliis afternoon the entire fleet set 
sail, and at three of the clock was well within the 
south channel of the St. Lawrence river, near the 
island called, by the French. Isle aux Chevreuil, and 
by us Buck Island, from the foot of which the look- 
out at the masthead discovered a batteau loaded 
with French soldiers put off, when I knew at once 
that the enemy had knowledge of the expedition, 
and though the wind was light, I signalled the Mo- 
hawk and gave chase, hoping to get the batteau 
within range of my bow guns, but which I failed to 
do. The Onondaga was now nearly a league ahead 
of the Mohawk, and the flotilla was yet another 
league in the rear, the entire fleet being fully eight 
leagues from where it set sail. At a point where 
three hills project into the river, the batteau veered 
aw.ay and ran down through a long narrow channel 
between what seemed to be a large island and some 
smaller ones, and out into a large baj', beyond which 
stretched another broad channel, easily seen from 
the masthead. Having sounded and found deep 
water, I decided to follow; but owing to light winds 
our progress was slow, though in running through 
the narrow channel we gained somewhat on the bat- 
teau, which we soon lost sight of among the islands 
in the north channel, which are very numerous, with 
narrow swift channels in every direction between 
them, very diflicult to sail among unless favored 
with a strong breeze, which, unfortunately for us, 
was now very light, and to add to our difficulties, 
night was at hand. Had we not been able to dis- 
tinguish the islands from the lookout at the mast- 
head, we might have thought that the main land lay 
ahead of us, but with what we could see from that 
point, and finding that the current set strongly in 
that direction, and knowing from some previous 
experience among the islands above that the chan- 
nels between the islands were likely to be deep. I 
determined to hold on to our course, not doubting 
that we should run safely through the archipelago, 
if it be proper to so call a cluster of islands that are 
not in the sea. So the Fates would have it, how- 
ever, we were no sooner fairly within what seemed 
to be the largest channel than the vessel was attacked 
on every side from the summits of the islands, which 
were covered with trees and thickets, and our deck 
was fairly swept with arrows and musketry, while at 
the same time we seemed about to strike ' bows on' 



THE WAR OF //JJ. 



l8l 



to a precipice directlyahead. I iiiiinedialcly ordered 
Coxswain Terry and his crew to lower away one of 
the quarter boats, with a message to the Mohawk to 
turn back to the other channel, and then sent the 
men to the guns quickly, driving the enemy from 
the summits of the islands and into their canoes, 
when they soon escaped into the numerous channels 
on either hand. 

Ordering another boat lowered, a suitable channel 
was soon found, through which we passed safely, 
and anchored about a league below the thickest of 
the group of islands, and waited for Coxswain Terry 
and his crew to return. After some time, I ordered 
Ensign Barry to take the cutter and search for the 
coxswain and his crew. After some hours Ensign 
Barry returned. He had been bewildered among 
the numerous channels, not being able to even dis- 
tinguish the channels through which the vessel had 
come, nor the one by which she entered the group 
of islands, nor had he discovered the first boat 
lowered. Ensign Barrj' called it " The River of the 
Lost Channel," and in that way was it ever after 
spoken of among the men. Thinking that Coxswain 
Terry and his crew had boarded the Mohawk, and 
that they would return to us when we joined the 
fleet, I determined to sail as soon as the wind 
freshened. 

"Aug. 15th. All this day there was a strong head 
wind, and after sounding and finding sliallow water 
in several places, I did not think it best to tack for 
fear of running aground." 

"Aug. i6th. The lookout discovered a vessel this 
morning at a distance of about four leagues coining 
up the river, but we could not make her out. Pre- 
suming that it was a French vessel, as we knew that 
they had an armed brig below, we got springs on our 
cables in order to veer if attacked, but she did not 
come nearer to us than three leagues." 

"Aug. 17th Wind still contrary. There has been 
heavy cannonading down the river to-day about 



four leagues distant but hid from us by islands. It 
cannot be at the French Fort, which cannot be less 
than fifteen leagues distant." 

"Aug. iSth. Got under weigh this afternoon, and 
will soon be with the army." 

"Aug. igth. Reached the army to-day, and re- 
ported to Gen. Amherst. Coxswain Terry and his 
crew are undoubtedly lost, as they did not board the 
Mohawk, but started to return to the Onondaga. 
The firing on the day before yesterday, was the 
attack on the French brig by our armed gallies under 
the command of Col. Williamson, who captured her 
after a severe engagement lasting four hours. It 
was a most gallant affair. The brig has been named 
the Williamson, after the gallant colonel. The fort is 
to be invested to-morrow." 

In speaking of this very affair the historian 
Mante says: 

"All this while, one of the enemy's vessels kept 
hovering about the army, and as Captain Loring had 
not yet got into the right channel, it became necessary 
for the safety of the army, either to compel this 
vessel to retire or to take her. The general was 
therefore obliged to order Colonel Williamson with 
the row gallies well manned, to do one or the other." 

Then follows an account of the battle and 
of the ill luck which seemed to have followed 
Captain Loring during the attack on the fort, 
at which time his vessel ran aground and was 
very nearly taken possession of by the enemy. 
But as any further description of the capture 
of Fort Levis is not germane to our history, 
because it took place beyond the limits of the 
Thousand Islands, we bring the article to a 
close, having shown tlie reader that the name 
" Lost Channel " is by no means a modern 
invention. 



J^ 



182 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



THE CASTORLAIND COLONY. 



Intimately related to the St. Lawrence, 
though not bounded by its very shores, was 
Castorland. It is described most graphically 
in '' Haddock's History of Jefferson County," 
pp. 113 to 118. It is intensely interesting, as 
showing the futility of any plan which takes 
artisans and mechanics from a large city and 
plants them upon the soil of a primitive wil- 



has a stop-cock in it, .such as you see in 
kitchen wash-sinks, to prevent the too great 
rush of the fluid — so that when a bucketful 
had been drawn the cock could be turned so 
as to lose no sap while the attendant was 
emptying the bucket ! Those who know the 
way in which sap runs, a single drop at a 
time, will find something here to laugh over. 



















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I^^^M 






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HP^I^^ 


^^M 


Hr?^ 


:-$0m 


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.mm 


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A' 


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FISHING OFF THE HEAD OF "LITTLE GRENADIER, CANADIAN CHANNEL. 

derness, where a knowledge both of wood- But it was not a nialtei of laughter for these 

craft and of husbandry is every day required. poor people, whose sufferings, like those of 

In the illustration of their seal, shown on the United Empire Loyalists (driven out of 

another page, the reader will notice the this country into Canada, because they would 

"Goddess of Agriculture" standing by a not ignore their oaths to King George) were 

maple tree, from which sap is flowing into a severe and in some cases fatal. But we will let 

bucket. Please to observe the faucet. It Major Haddock tell the story in his own way. 



CASTORLAND AND THE FRENCH SETTLEMENT THERE. 



/5^() the excellent article by Hon. Mr. In- 
T^ galls, upon the " Waterway's of Jefferson 
County" (see pages 9-12 of Haddock's His- 
tory), we wish to add a few general remarks. 
It is a peculiar characteristic, marking all the 
rivers that flow in and around Northern New 
York, that, excepting only the Mohawk, all 
of them flow from and through larger or 
smaller chains of lakes. The noble St. Law- 
rence itself, which forms the natural and in- 
tensely picturesque northwestern boundary of 
Jefferson county, seems to be the vast proto- 
type and pattern for all the others, as it flows 
from its own great continental system of 
lakes. The Hudson, flowing eastward like 
the Mohawk, is fed by a system of forest 
branches which spread over the entire moun- 
tain belt of the Adirondack wilderness, the 
head waters of some of its tributaries being 
over 5,000 feet above the level of the sea. 
But, however interesting it may be to follow 
out this train of thought, our space constrains 
as to confine our remarks to the streams which 
flow into and through Jefferson county, or re- 
late to waterways touching that county. 
Their influence upon the early settlements of 
the northern wilderness of 1793, in drawing 
to the Black River country those in pursuit 
of water power to drive factories, can never 
be prized too highly, nor too patiently de- 
scribed. These waters attracted to this local- 
ity those whose minds were profoundly stirred 
by that intense activity which always precedes 
great discoveries and great movements of 
populations. 

The Black River bounds the Great Wilder- 
ness plateau of Laurentian rocks on the west, 
and its valley bounds tlie Lesser Wildnerness 
on the east. The principal confluents that 



enter the Black River from the Great Wilder- 
ness, are the Moose, Otter Creek, the Inde- 
pendence, and the Beaver. 

The Moose River rises near the Raquette 
Lake in the center of the wilderness, and 
winds through and forms the celebrated Eight 
Lakes of the Fulton chain. The Moose passes 
in its course the hunting station known to all 
frequenters of the woods as Arnold's, or the 
Old Forge, on Brown's Tract. This secluded 
spot has long been famous in forest story as 
the scene of John Brown's* fruitless attempt 
at settlement, of the failure and tragic death 
of his son-in-law Herreshoff, of the exploits 
of the hunter Foster and his victim, the Indian 
Drid, and of the life-long home of Otis Arnold, 
the liunter and guide. 

The Independence River rises near the 
Eight Lakes of the Fulton chain and runs 
into Black River in the town of Watson, Lewis 
county, between the Moose River and the 
Beaver River. In its course, this river crosses 
the tract of wild land known to land specu- 
lators as Watson's West Triangle. The Inde- 
pendence River was so named in lionor of our 
national holiday by Pierre Pharoux, the en- 
gineer and surveyor of Castorland. Near tlie 
south bank of tlie Independence, not far from 
the old Watson house, is Chase's lake. This 
lake has long been a favorite resort, and is one 
of the most accessible in the Wilderness for 
the invalid or pleasure seeker. The Beaver 
River rises in the heart of the Wilderness to 
the north of Raquette Lake, and running in its 
course through Smith's Lake, Albany Lake, and 
Beaver Lake, waters the territory of ancient 

* Not the John Brown, of Harper's-Ferry fame, 
"whose body lies a mouldering in the ground, but 
whose soul is marching on." 



1 84 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



Castorland, the seat of French influence on 
the Black River. Beaver Lake, an expansion of 
this river at Number Four, a famous summer 
resort, is one of the most charming lakes in 
the wilderness. 

Among the problematical places of the olden 
times in Northern New York, whose names 
were once familar in European circles but are 
seldom heard in modern story, no one was 
once more famous than La Famine. 

Two hundred years ago, La Famine was a 
well-known stopping-place upon the eastern 
shore of Lake Ontario for the weary hunter 
and the bold explorer, and the spot where 
even armies encamped, and the ambassadors 
of hostile nations met in solemn council. 



of the Lesser Wilderness from the west was 
the Salmon River. On their way to the hunt- 
ing ground through Lake Ontario, the western 
Lidians landed at the mouth of this river, and 
their trail then led up its banks. 

La Famine then was the ancient seaport of 
this famous hunting ground of the Lesser 
Wilderness, and was situated near what is 
now the village of Mexico, Oswego county. 
Hence we find on a map of New France, pub- 
lished by Marco Vincenzo Coronelli, in 1688, 
this place put down at the mouth of what is 
now known as the Salmon River, but in his 
map it is called La Famine River. It bears 
the following inscription: " La Famine, lieu 
ou la plus part des Iroquois des barquet pour 





MEDAL ISSUED BY THE CHASSNAIS FRANCO-AMERICAN LAND COMPANY. 
[Enlarged one-half, from an original in possession of the Jefferson County Historical Society.] 



To-day its name can only be found on the his- 
toric page and in the old maps and musty 
records, while its locality is often a matter of 
controversy. The ancient Indian landing-place 
and camping-ground known to the French as 
La Famine, was situated on the shore of 
Famine Bay, now called Mexico Bay, in the 
southeast corner of Lake Ontario, at the 
mouth of La Famine River, now known as 
Salmon River. 

The Salmon River, the ancient French La 
Famine, rises in the central part of the plateau 
of the Lesser Wilderness in the southwest 
corner of Lewis county, and runs westerly 
through the northern part of Oswego county 
into Lake Ontario. The Lesser Wilderness 
was one of the beaver-hunting countries of 
the Iroquois. The key to this hunting ground 



aller in traitte du Castor," which may be 
translated thus: " La Famine, the place 
where the greater part of the Iroquois em- 
barked to go upon the trail of the beaver. " 

The Lesser Wilderness of Northern New 
York is situated upon the long narrow plateau 
which stretches first westerly and then north- 
erly from the Upper Mohawk valley and the 
Oneida Lake almost to the village of Carthage. 
The rocky ground-work of this plateau is 
composed of level strata of limestone and 
slate, which rise in a series of terraces of a 
mile or two in width from its borders into a 
high level table land, which has an elevation 
of nearly 2,000 feet above the level of the sea. 
Upon the central part of this table land are 
situated the forests, swamps, marshes and 
wild meadows of the Lesser Wilderness. 



CASTOKLAND, AND THE FRENCH SETTLEMENT THERE. 



185 



Down the more regular terraces of its west- 
ern slope, locally called Tug Hill, the streams 
which rise in the swamps of the Lesser Wil- 
derness hurry in a series of falls and cascades 
into the Black River, wearing deep chasms in 
the yielding rocks along their courses. Among 
these streams are the Deer River, the Silver- 
mine, the Martin, the Whetstone and other 
creeks. 

This Lesser Wilderness was one of the most 
famous hunting grounds of the Indian. Its 
woods were literally filled with game, and its 
streams with fish. La Hontan says that there 
were so many salmon in La Famine River that 
they often brought up a hundred at one cast 
of the net. 

Castorland. 

The summer tourist, on his way from Tren- 
ton Falls to the Thousand Islands, may pass 
through the beautiful and flourishing valley 
of the Black River, over the Utica and Black 
River Railroad. As the train draws near to 
the first station north of the village of Low- 
ville, he will hear the sharp voice of the 
brakeman crying out " Cas-tor-Iand." He 
will look out of the car window and see a 
wide level clearing of pasture-land and 
meadow, skirted by forests, one side of which 
is bounded by the river. In the middle of 
this clearing he will see only the small station 
house, and three or four scattered buildings 
surrounding it, and will doubtless wonder 
whence comes the high-sounding name for 
such meagre surroundings. 

The story of Castorland is the often re- 
peated tale of frustrated settlements in the 
old wilderness — the story of an attempt of the 
exiled nobility and clergy of the old regime in 
France to found a settlement in the wilds of 
the New World, where they could find a 
secure retreat from the horrors of the Revolu- 
tion in the Old. 

This attempt was made at the close of the 
last century in the valley of the Black River, 
on the western slope of the Great Wilderness. 
But, like the settlement of the first Catholics 
on the Patuxent, the Jacobites with Flora Mc- 
Donald at Cape Fear, the Huguenots with 



Jean Ribault at Port Royal ; like New Amster- 
dam on the Hudson, New Sweden on the 
Delaware ; like Acadie in Nova Scotia, — Cas- 
torland on the Black River lives now only in 
poetry and history. Its story is one of bril- 
liant promises all unfulfilled, of hopes defer- 
red, of man's tireless but fruitless endeavor, 
of woman's tears. 

To rescue this name so fraught with histor- 
ical associations from oblivion, it was applied 
to the railroad station which is nearest to the 
site of the largest projected city of ancient 
Castorland. That city was laid out on the 
Beaver River, which flows into the Black 
River from the wilderness nearly opposite this 
station. 

For the purpose of effecting the settlement 
of Castorland a company was formed in Paris, 
under the laws of France, in the month of 
August, 1792, and styled La Compagnie de 
New York. On the 31st day of the same 
month the company, by its agent, Pierre 
Chassanis, bought a large tract of land lying 
in the valley of the Black River, of William 
Constable, who was the owner of Macomb's 
Purchase. This tract lay along both sides of 
the Black River below the High Falls, and ex- 
tended westerly through the counties of Lewis 
and Jefferson to Lake Ontario, and easterly 
into the heart of the Great Wilderness. The 
Castorland purchase at first comprised the 
whole of great lot No. 5 of Macomb's pur- 
chase, and contained 610,000 acres. But sub- 
sequently all south and west of the Black 
River, being the part which now constitutes 
the richest towns of Lewis and Jefferson coun- 
ties, was given up, and only that lying to the 
north and east of the river retained. The 
portion so retained contained only 210,000 
acres. This was the Castorland of the olden 
times. 

The name Castorland, that is to say, the 
Land of Beavers, is doubtless a literal transla- 
tion of the old Indian word, which means the 
" Beaver Hunting Country," Castorland being 
taken out of the western half of this old In- 
dian hunting ground. 

During the negotiations between Constable 
and Chassanis for this tract, the French Revo- 



1 86 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



lution, that had been so long smouldering, burst 
forth in all its savage fury, and the streets of 
Paris were slippery with human gore. Con- 
stable locked the door of the apartment in 
which they met, with the remark that " if they 
parted before the purchase was completed 
they might never meet again." The palace of 
the Tuilleries was already surrounded by the 
bloodthirsty mob. The attendants of the 
royal family were butchered, and the feeble 
king cast into a dungeon. In comparison 
with such awful scenes as these in the very 
heart of the highest civilization the world had 
ever seen, the savage wilderness of the old 
American forests was a scene of peaceful rest. 
To the fugitive noblesse of France, the former 
possessors of great titles, rank, wealth and 
culture, the quiet shades of Castorland af- 
forded a secure asylum from the horrors of 
the Reign of Terror. 

Scheme of Settlement. 
A romantic scheme was at once conceived 
and perfected by the company in Paris for the 
settlement of Castorland. In pursuance of 
this scheme a pamphlet was printed in Paris 
and issued by the Company, containing a pro- 
gramme of colonization under its auspices. 
This pamphlet was entitled "Association for 
the purchase and settlement of 600,000 acres 
of land, granted by the State of New York, 
and situated within that State, between the 
43d and 44th degrees of latitude, upon Lake 
Ontario, and thirty-five leagues from the city 
and port of Albany, where vessels land from 
Europe." It set forth, among other things, in 
glowing colors, the wealth of agriculture pre- 
sented by its fertile soil, the fine distribution 
of its waters, its facilities for an extended com- 
merce on account of its location in the vicinity 
of a dense population, and above all the 
security afforded to its inhabitants by the laws 
of a people who were independent and rich 
with their own capital, thus extending to the 
immigrant all the benefits of liberty with none 
of its drawbacks. It was stated that the ob- 
ject of the proprietors was to form of the 
colony a sort of family, in some way united by 
common interests and common wants, and 



that to maintain this union of interests a plan 
had been devised that rendered each member 
directly interested in the whole property. It 
was to be done by and in the name of Sieur 
Chassanis, in whose name they had purchased 
the estate, and who alone had power to issue 
certificates of ownership. 

There were 6,000 certificates to be issued, 
each entitling the holder thereof to ownership 
in manner following : The whole tract at that 
time consisted of 630,000 acres. Of this 600,- 
000 were divided into 12,000 lots of fifty acres 
each, and the price of each share fixed at 800 
livres ($152.38). In the beginning, 6,00.0 lots 
were set apart for individual properties, and 
the other 6,000 lots were to belong to a com- 
mon stock which was to be divided at some 
future time, after improvements had been 
made thereon by the company. Each holder 
of a certificate was to receive at once a deed 
for a separate lot of fifty acres, to be drawn 
by lot, and also a lot of fifty acres in the com- 
mon undivided stock. 

Of the 30,000 remaining acres, 2,000 were 
set apart for a city to be formed on the great 
river in the interior, and 2,000 more for 
another city on Lake Ontario, at the mouth 
of the Black River, which was to form a 
port and entrepot of commerce. Among 
artisans 6,000 acres were to be divided and 
rented to them at twelve sous per acre. The 
proceeds of the 20,000 acres remaining were 
to be expended by the Company in the con- 
struction of roads, bridges and other improve- 
ments. 

The two cities were divided into 14,000 lots 
each. Of these lots, 2,000 were set apart for 
churches, schools, markets, etc. The remain- 
ing 12,000 lots were to be divided among the 
6,000 holders of certificates in the same man- 
ner as the large tract, — each holding one 
separate lot and one in common. 

The affairs of the company were to be man- 
aged by five trustees, three to remain in Paris 
and two upon the tract. 

Such was the scheme matured in the salons 

of Paris for the settlement of Castorland. 

Beautiful and promising beyond measure upon 

aper, as an ideal, but utterly impracticable 



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CASTORLAND, AND THE FRENCH SETTLEMENT THERE. 



1S9 



and bitterly disappointing as a reality. Yet 
many shares were eagerly taken. 

Organization. 

On the 28th of June, 1793, it being the 
second year of the French Republic, the actual 
holders of certificates convertible into shares 
of La Compagnie de New York met in the 
rooms of Citizen Chassanis, in Paris, to organ- 
ize their society upon the basis already estab- 
lished, and to regulate the division, survey 
and settlement of their lands. There were 
present at that meeting forty-one shareholders 
in all, who represented 1,880 shares. They per- 
fected and completed their organization; they 
adopted a long and elaborate constitution ; they 
chose a seal for their corporation, and ap- 
pointed five commissaries to manage its af- 
fairs, three for Paris and two for Caslorland. 
In the meantime the tract had been re-con- 
veyed, and the large part lying west and south 
of the Black River given up, the part retained 
being that lying east and north of the river, 
and containing only 210,000 acres. To ac- 
cord with this fact the number of shares was 
reduced from 6,000 to 2,000. It was at this 
meeting that a silver piece was ordered to be 
struck, termed a "Jetton de presence," one 
of which was to be given at every meeting to 
each commissary as an attendance fee.* [See 
engraving, p. 1S4.] 

* These pieces occur in coin cabinets, and have 
been erroneously called " Castorland half-dollars." 
A jetton is a piece of metal struck with a device, and 
distributed to be kept in commemoration of some 
event, or to be used as a counter in games of chance. 
The one here noticed was termed a "jetton de pre- 
sence," or piece "given in certain societies or com- 
panies to each of the members at a session or meet- 
ing." It was engraved by one of the Duvivier 
brothers, eminent coin and metal artists of Paris. 
The design represents on the obverse the head of 
Cybele, who personified the earth as inhabited or 
cultivated, while on the reverse Ceres has just tap- 
ped a maple tree, in which will be observed a spout 
provided with a stop to withhold the sweet sap when 
it flowed too fast ' 

The Latin legend on the reverse is a quotation 
from Virgil, which, with its context, reads; 

" Snh'a magna parens frugiim, Satumia telhis 
nia^na viriim.'^ 



The commissaries appointed for America 
were Simon Desjardines and Pierre Pharoux, 
who lost no time in proceeding to America to 
execute their important trust. Desjardines 
had been a Chamberlain of Louis XVI. He 
was of middle age, an accomplished scholar 
and gentleman, but knew not a word of English 
when he arrived. He had with him his wife 
and three children, and his younger brother, 
Geoffry Desjardines, who shared his labors 
and trials. He also brought with liim his 
library of 2,000 volumes. Pierre Pharoux, 
the surveyor, who was afterwards drowned, was 
a distinguished young architect and engineer 
of Paris, of high scientific attainments and 
marked ability. He was earnestly and faith- 
fully devoted to his duties; and his love of 
science, his honesty, his good sense, and 
genial and ardent friendship were manifested 
in all his doings. He left behind him in 
France an aged father to mourn his untimely 
death. 

They sailed from Havre on the 4th day of 
July, 1793, in the American ship Liberty, but 
did not arrive in New York until the 7th of 
September following. There came over in the 
same vessel with them a young French refugee 
named Mark Isambart Brunei, who afterward 
filled the world with his fame as an engineer 
in England. Brunei had been in the French 
navy, and was driven from home on account 
of his royalistic proclivities. He went with 
them in all their journeys through the wilder- 
ness, and shared in all their hardships during 
the first year, but does not seem to have been 
employed by them in Castorland. 

Their First Exploration. 

Soon after their arrival in this country, 
Desjardines and Pharoux, with their friend 
Brunei, set out on a voyage of exploration to 
their "promised land" in the wild valley of 
the Black River. To realize the difficulties 
of the undertaking, the reader must bear in 
mind that the country they were in quest of 
lay far from Albany in the depths of a howling 
wilderness, which had then never been visited 
by white men, except around its border, or 
when carried across it as prisoners in savage 



I go 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



hands ; that the only route to it was up the 
Mohawk, in batteaux, to Fort Stanwix, now 
the city of Rome ; thence by the way of Wood 
creek, the Oneida lake, and the Oswego river 
to Lake Ontario, and from Lake Ontario up 
the unexplored route of the Black River. It was 
over the old Indian trail, the savage warpath 
of the French and Indian and of the Revolu- 
tionary wars, and even then there was threat- 
ened a general Indian war by all the tribes 
around our borders. But in the face of all 
these difficulties our explorers, in the autumn 
of 1793, set out for Castorland. 

In describing their passage over the carry- 
ing place from Fort Stanwix to Wood creek. 



of these trunks, presenting at once the images 
of life and death." 

The fort at Oswego was still held by a 
British garrison. Jealous of Frenchmen, the 
commander at first refused to allow them to 
pass into Lake Ontario, but it was finally 
arranged that Brunei should remain as a 
hostage for the good conduct and safe return 
of the others. Brunei, however, was refused 
access to the fort, and was ordered to encamp 
alone in the woods on the opposite side of the 
river. Considering that such treatment in- 
validated his parole, he escaped from Oswego 
disguised as a common sailor, and proceeded 
with his friends on their expedition. They 




near where the four busy tracks of the New 
York Central Railroad now run, they wrote in 
their journal, under date of October loth ; 
"Upon taking a walk into the woods a short 
distance we saw on every hand it was a fear- 
ful solitude. You are stopped sometimes by 
impassable swamps, and at other times by 
heaps of trees that have fallen from age or 
have been overthrown by storms, and among 
which an infinite number of insects and many 
squirrels find a retreat. On every hand we 
see the skeletons of trees overgrown with 
moss and in every stage of decay. The capil- 
laire and other plants and shrubs spring out 



proceeded cautiously along the shore of the 
lake over the route that had become historic 
by the presence of M. de la Barre and his 
army in their visit to La Famine in 1684, and 
of Father Charlevoix in 1720, and which had 
so often been traversed by their countrymen 
in the palmy days of the old French occu- 
pancy, until their arrival at Niaoure bay, now 
called Black River bay. Here after a long 
search they discovered the mouth of the 
Black River, the great river that watered Cas- 
torland. But it was already so late in the 
season that they only explored the river up to 
the point some five or six miles above the falls 



CASTORLAND, AND THE FRENCH SETTLEAfENT THERE. 



191 



at Watertown, and then returned to Albany 
to complete their preparations for the next 
year's journey. 

In the autumn of 1855, the Hon. Amelia M. 
Murray, maid of honor to Queen Victoria, 
made a tour of the United States and Canada, 
through the lake belt of the Wilderness, over 
the route now so much travelled. Her 
companions were Gov. Horatio Seymour, 
the Governor's niece and other friends. 
On their way they stopped, of course, at 
Arnold's. But I will let the Lady Amelia 
tell the story in her own words, as 
written in her diary, under date of Sep- 
tember 20, 1S55 : " Mr. Seymour re- 
mained to make arrangements with the 
guides, while his niece and I walked on 
to Arnold's farm. There we found Mrs. 
Arnold and six daughters. These girls, 
aged from twelve to twenty, were placed 
in a row against one wall of the shanty, 
with looks so expressive of astonishment, 
that I felt puzzled to account for their 
manner, till their mother informed us 
they had never before seen any other 
woman than herself ! I could not elicit 
a word from them, but, at last, when I 
begged for a little milk, the eldest went 
and brought me a glass (tin cup). Tlien 
I remembered that we had met a single 
hunter rowing himself on the Moose 
River, who called out, ' Where on 'arth 
do them women come from.'"' And our 
after experience fully explained why 
ladies are such rare birds in that locality. " 

The Settlement of Castorland. 

The next spring, being in the year 179.4, the 
Desjardines Brothers and Pharoux, with a 
large company of men, with their surveyors 
and assistants, took up their toilsome journey 
from Schenectady to their forest possessions, 
being this time fully equipped to begin their 
settlement. Their route this year was up the 
Mohawk in batteaux to Fort Schuyler, now 
Utica, thence overland across the Deerfield 
hills sixteen miles, to the log house of Baron 
Steuben, who had then just commenced his 
improvements upon his tract of 16,000 acres 



granted him by the Slate. From Steuben's it 
was twenty-four miles further through the 
trackless forest to the High Falls on the Black 
River in Cnstoriand. 

The difficulties of the journey then still Ije- 
fore them can scarcely be imagined by the 
reader of to-day. At length they reached 




their tract on the welcome banks of the Black 
River, and began their labors. But there is no 
space in these pages to follow them in their 
operations, in their sore trials and their bitter 
disappointments, their final discomfiture and 
utter failure. 

Suffice it to say that they began a little set- 
tlement on the banks of the Black River, at 
the place now called Lyon's Falls. That they 
surveyed their lands and laid out one of their 
cities, Castorville, on the Beaver river, at a 
place now called Beaverton, opposite the 
little station now called Castorland, in mem- 
ory of their enterprise. That they laid out 



192 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



their other city, the lake port, which they 
named " City of Basle," at what is now Dex- 
ter, below Watertown, and in 1795 they 
founded the present village of Carthage. That 
Pharoux was accidentally drowned in the river 
at Watertown in the fall of 1795. That Des- 
jardines gave up the agency in despair in 1797 
and was succeeded by Rudolphe Tillier, 
" Member of the Sovereign Council of Berne," 
who in turn gave place to Gouverneur Morris 
in 1800, and that the lands finally became the 
property of James Donatien Le Ray de Chau- 
mont, his associates and grantees. 

"After toil and many troubles, self-exiled for many 

years, 
Long delay's and sad misfortunes, man's regrets and 

woman's tears; 
Unfulfilled the brilliant outset, broken as a chain of 

sand. 
Were the golden expectations by Grande Rapides' 

promised land." 

Death of Pierre Pharoux. 
One of the saddest incidents in the story of 
Castorland is the death of Pharoux, at the 
falls of Watertown, in 1795. In September 
of that year, after the river had been swollen 
by heavy rains, Pharoux set out with Brod- 
head, Tassart and others, all surveyors, on a 
journey to Kingston. In passing down the 
river on a raft, they were drawn over the falls. 
Mr. Brodhead and three men were saved, but 
Pharoux was drowned. The survivors made 
unremitting search for Pharoux's body, but it 
was not found until the following spring. It 
was washed ashore upon an island at the 
mouth of Black River, where it was found by 
Benjamin Wright, the surveyor, and by him 
decently buried there. M. LeRay de Chau- 



mont many years afterwards caused a marble 
tablet to be set in the rock near his grave, 
bearing this inscription; 

TO THE MEMORY OF 

PIERRE PHAROUX, 
This Island is Consecrated. 

The reader will remember that the year be- 
fore his death, Pharoux had discovered and 
named the river Independence, in Castorland, 
and had selected a beautiful spot at its mouth 
on the Black River, near a large flat granite 
rock, for his residence. This spot, called by 
the Desjardines Brothers Independence Rock, 
was ever afterwards regarded by them with 
melancholy interest. They could not pass it 
without shedding tears to the memory of 
their long-tried and trusted friend. Under 
date of May 28, 1796, Simon Desjardines, the 
elder brother, recorded in his journal : 
" Landed at half-past two at Independence 
Rock, and visited once more this charming 
spot which had been so beautifully chosen by 
our friend Pharoux as the site for his house. 
The azaleas in full bloom loaded the air with 
their perfume, and the wild birds sang 
sweetly around their nests, but nature has no 
longer any pleasant sights, nor fragrance, nor 
music, for me." 

Castorland, Adieu ! 

And now ancient Castorland may be added 
to the long list of names once famous in the 
cities of Europe, and long celebrated in the 
forest annals of Northern New York, but now 
forgotten, and found only in history and song 
— feebly commemorated by the name of an 
insignificant railway station. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



By Travellers and by Historical and Statistical Writers. 



Father Charlevoix — -(1721) 

lIERRE FRANCOIS XAVIER CHAR- 
LEVOIX was born in 1682, becfame a 
Jesuit priest, and in 1720-1722 made a voyage 
to Nortli America under orders from the King 
of France. Passing up the St. Lawrence and 
through the lakes, he found his way to the 
Mississippi, and, after encountering many 
difficulties, finally reached San Domingo, and 
returned from thence to P'rance. Besides his 
Journal of Travels, which was written in 
epistolary form, he wrote a History of New 
France, which is regarded as high authority. 
He closed a life devoted to study and travel, 
on the i8th of February, 1761. 

The Journal of his Travels abounds in his- 
torical, ethnological and topographical infor- 
mation, and he was a close observer of Natural 
History. His description of this region is 
brief, and is given in a letter dated at Cataro- 
coui (Kingston), May 14, 1721, in which he 
says : 

' Five or six leagues from la Galette is an island 
called Toniala, the soil of which appears tolerably 
fertile, and which is about half a league long. An 
Iroquois called ' The Quaker,' for what reason I know 
not — ^ a man of excellent good sense, and much de- 
voted to ihe French — had obtained the right of it 
from the Count de Frontenac, and he shows his 
Patent to everybody that desires to see it. Me has, 
however, sold his Lordship for four pots of brandy; 
but he has reserved the usufruct for his own life, and 
has got together on it eighteen or twenty families of 
his own nation. I found him at work in his garden; 
this is .lot usual with the Indians, but this person 
affects to follow all the French manners. He re- 
ceived me very well, and would have regaled me, 
but the fine weather invited me to pursue my voyage. 



I took my leave of him, and went to pass the night 
two leagues from hence, in a very pleasant spot. I 
had still thirteen leagues to sail before I could reach 
Catarocoui; the weather was fine, and the night very 
clear. This prevailed with us to embark at three in 
the morning. We passed through the middle of a 
kind of an archigelago, which they call Mil/e lies 
(the Thousand Isles), and I believe there are ^bove 
five hundred of them. After you have got from 
among them, you have only a league and a half to 
sail to reach Catarocoui. The river is open, and is 
full half a league wide. You then leave upon the 
right three great bays, pretty deep, and the fort is 
built in the third." 

Fort Catarocoui was described by Charle- 
voi-K as a square, with four bastions, built with 
stone, and the ground it occupies as a (juarter 
of a league in circuit. The situation was very 
pleasant, and the view upon the river remark- 
ably fine. 

An anonymous folio printed for Thomas 
Jeffreys in 1760, repeats (page 15) the account 
given by Charlevoix about the Indian living 
on Toniata Island, and what is said by him 
concerning the Thousand Islands. 

James Fenimore Cooper's Ideal "Station 
Island." 
(Assumed to be about 1755.) 
In the third of his series of " Leather- 
Stocking Tales," as placed by its author, 
although not in the order of publication, is 
" The Pathfinder," a romance by some re- 
garded as the most pleasing of the many that 
were sketched by the pen of this po[)ular 
writer. In his youth, James Cooper (as he 
was known until a middle name was inserted 
by a special act of the Legislature of New 



194 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



York, in 1826), had been a Midshipman in 
tlie American Navy, and in this capacity was 
stationed for a time at Oswego, where the first 
beginning was made in the construction of an 
American naval armament upon Lake Ontario, 
under Commodore Woolsey, in the summer of 
1S08. Of this period of his life, the author 

himself says : 

'■ This was pretty earlj' in the present century, 
wlicn the navigation was still confined to the employ- 
ment of a few ships and schooners. Since that day, 
light may be said to have broken into the wilderness, 
and the rays of the sun have penetrated to tens of 
tliousands of beautiful valleys and plains, that then 
lay in 'grateful shade.' Towns have been built 
along the whole of the extended line of coasts, and 
the traveller now stops at many places of ten or 
fifteen, and at one of even fifty thousand inhabitants, 
where a few huts then marked the sites of future 
marts." 

Amid these familiar scenes, Cooper laid the 
plan of his romance, and the descriptions of 
scenery and of natural topography which the 
book contains, he regards "as nearly accurate 
as is required by the laws which govern fic- 
tion," although these wild solitudes of Lake 
Ontario as he saw thetn, are so no longer. 
The period assigned for the romance, was 
about the middle of the last century, while 
the English held a military and trading post 
at Oswego, and the French the region to the 
north and west of the lake, extending in a 
chain of posts from their possessions in Lower 
Canada to those on the Mississippi. It was 
not long before the hostilities began that 
ended in the conquest of the French in 
Canada, and the full establishment of the 
English power, and of peace along the whole 
line of this memorable frontier. 

We will not attempt to give an outline of 
the plot of the tale, leaving that to be known 
by those who would wish the details from the 
book itself. It is sufficient for our present 
use, to copy some of the descriptions of scenery 
of the Thousand Islands, — among the intricate 
mazes of which the author has placed The 
Station, upon which depends a part of the 
plot. It was, indeed, as he represented it, in 
that day, a place hard to find, the approach 
being full of difficulties and dangers. The 
way was known to but a favored few, to whom 



the secret was in confidence entrusted, and 
the place is now, like Calypso's favored Isle, 
an open question for those who choose to 
explore : 

" The Station, as the place was fainiliarly termed 
by the soldiers of the 55th, was indeed a spot to raise 
expectations of enjoyment among those who had 
been cooped up so long in a vessel of the dimensions 
of the ' Scud.' None of the islands were high, tliough 
all lay at a sufficient elevation above the water 10 
render them perfectly healthy and secure. Each had 
more or less of wood, and the greater number at that 
distant day were clothed with the virgin forest. The 
one selected by the troops for their purpose was 
small, containing about twenty acres of land, and by 
some of the accidents of the wilderness, it has been 
partly stripped of its trees, probably centuries before 
the period of which we are writing, and a little grassy 
glade covered nearly half its surface. It was the 
opinion of the officer who had made the selection of 
this spot for a military post, that a sparkling spring 
near by had early caught the attention of the Indians, 
and that they had long frequented this particular 
place in their hunts, or when fishing for salmon — a 
circumstance that had kept down the second-growth, 
and given time for the natural grasses to take root, 
and to gain dominion over the soil. Let the cause 
be what it might, the effect was to render this island 
far more beautiful than most of those around it, and 
to lend an air of civilization that was then wanting 
in so much of that vast region of country. 

"The shores of Station Island were coinpletely 
fringed with bushes, and great care had been taken to 
preserve them, as they answered as a screen to conceal 
the persons and things collected within their circle. 
Favored by this shelter as well as that of several 
thickets of trees and different coppices, some six or 
eight low huts had been erected to be used as quar- 
ters for the officer and his men, to contain stores, and 
to serve the purposes of kitchen, hospital, etc. 
These huts were built of logs, in the usual manner, 
had been roofed by bark brought from a distance, 
lest signs of labor should attract attention, and, as 
they had now been inhabited some months, were as 
comfortable as dwellings of that description usually 
ever got to be. 

"At the eastern extremity of the island, however, 
was a small, dense- wooded peninsula, with a thicket 
of underbrush so thickly matted as nearly to prevent 
the possibility of seeing across it, so long as the 
leaves remained on the branches. Near the narrow 
neck that connected this acre with the rest of the 
island, a small block house had been erected with 
some attention to its means of resistance. The logs 
were bullet proof, squared and joined with a care, to 
leave no defenseless points; the windows were loop- 
holes; the door massive and small; and the roof, like 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



197 



the rest of the structure, was framed of hewn timber, 
covered properly with bark lo exclude the rain. The 
lower apartment, as usual, contained stores and pro- 
visions; here, indeed, the party kept all their sup- 
plies; the second story was intended for a dwelling 
as well as for a citadel, and a low garret was sub- 
divided into two or three rooms, and could hold the 
pallets of some ten or fifteen persons. All the 
arrangements were exceedingly simple and cheap, 
but they were sufficient to protect the soldiers against 
the effects of a surprise. As the whole building 
was considerably less than forty feet high, its sum- 
mit was concealed by the tops of the trees, except 
from the eyes of those who had reached the interior 
of the island. On that side the view was open from 
the upper loops, though bushes, even there, more or 
less concealed the base of the wooden tower. The 
object being purely defense, care had been taken to 
place the block house so near an opening in the 
limestone rock that formed the base of the island, as 
to admit of a bucket's being dropped into the water, 
in order to obtain that great essential, in the event of 
a siege. In order to facilitate this operation, and lo 
enfilade the base of the building, the upper story 
projected several feet bej-ond the lower, in the 
manner usual to block houses, and pieces of wood 
filled the apertures cut in the log flooring, which 
were intended as loops and traps. The communica- 
tions between the different stories were by means of 
ladders. If we add that these block houses were 
intended as citadels, for garrisons or settlements to 
retreat to in cases of attack, the general reader will 
obtain a sufficienllv correct idea of the arrangements 
it is our wish to explain. 

" But the situation of the island itself formed its 
principal merit as a military position. Lying in the 
midst of twenty others, it was not an easy matter to 
find it, since boats might pass quite near, and, by the 
glimpses caught through the openings, this particular 
island would be taken for a part of some other. 
Indeed, the channels between the islands that lay 
around the one we have been describing were so 
narrow, that it was even difficult to say which por- 
tions of the land were connected, or which separated, 
even as one stood in their centre, with the express 
desire of ascertaining the truth. The little bay in 
particular, that Jasper used as a h.nrbor, was so em- 
bowered with bushes and shut in with islands, that 
the sails of the cutter being lowered, her own peo- 
ple, on one occasion, had searched for hours before 
they could find the ' Scud' in their return from a short 
excursion among the adjacent channels in quest of 
fish. In short, the place was admirably adapted to 
its present uses, and its natural advantages had been 
as ingeniously improved as economy and the limited 
means of a frontier post would very well allow." — 
(The Pathfinder, Chap, xix.) 



Captain Pouchot — (1760). 

This writer was a Captain in the Regiment 
of Beam, in the war of i755-(Jo; was com- 
mander of the fort at Niagara when captured 
by Sir William Johnson in 1758, and again 
was captured in Fort Lt^vis, a little below Og- 
densburg, where tiie last resistance was made 
by the French in the conquest of Canada, in 
1760. 

His Journal was published in Switzerland 
after his death, and affords much valuable in- 
formation concerning the country as it existed 
in his day. In speaking of the customs of the 
Canadian voyageurs, he remarks that in ascend- 
ing the river in their bateaux, they kept as near 
as possible to the north shore. Of the river 
above, he says: 

" At five leagues from Pointe au Baril [near the 
present village of Maitland] is the Island of Toni- 
ata. The main channel of the river is between this 
island and the south shore. The north part of the 
river is filled with rushes, and in summer is a cele- 
brated eel fishery. 

" The Island of Toniata is three leagues long by a 
quarter of a league wide. At the upper end is a 
little passage with but little water, and full of rushes, 
which they call the Petit Detroit. This is the route 
that bateaux always take in going up to avoid the 
currents. 

" We should notice that we ought to pay no atten- 
tion to the little channels which we meet among the 
rushes, and which have no outlet and would ground 
a vessel. 

" At the Petit Detroit they perform the ceremony 
of 'baptizing' those who have never gone up the 
river before. 

" At a league and a half above, begins the Thou- 
sand Islands, which continue at least three leagues. 
There are an infinite number of little rocks covered 
with trees, with channels quite large in some pl.ices. 
In others, vessels in passing through would almost 
touch them. They are very safe, almost always have 
a good depth of water all around them, and there is 
but a slight current. 

" At the end of three leagues we find larger 
islands. We should take care and not go astray. 
In following the bateaux channel nearest the north 
side, we shall notice several inlets ending in marshes, 
which are near the shore. 

" It is necessary to turn very short to enter the 
Bay of Corbeau, which is large and fine. We pass 
between the south point, which is very straight, and 
a little island which we have to pass very near. 
From thence they coast along the Isle au Citron, 



198 . 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



which is a good league in length. It is fine and well 
wooded. 

" They make a crossing of three leagues to reach 
the Isle Cochois, which is three leagues long, and 
half a league wide, abounding in game and fish, 

"The view from the foot of this island, with the 
neighboring islands and the north shore, forms a 
prospect most delightful on account of the beauty of 
the channels. This part appears to be very proper 
for cultivation, and good for hunting and fishing. 
From thence to Frontenac is three leagues. We 
find the bay sufficiently deep and quite good before 
coming to Montreal Point, which is the south point 
of the Bay of Catarocoui." 

John Long. 

This autlior, who was a roving Indian 
trader, appears to have met some adventures 
worthy of notice, although not immediately 
relating to the place more particularly under 
description. He stayed only a day or two in 
a place, bartered his goods for peltries till 
there were no more to buy, and then pushed 
off to a new field of enterprise. He stopped 
three days at the German Flats on the Mo- 
hawk — and on the 14th of September, 1784, 
arrived at the " Jenesee Lake," probably 
Seneca Lake of the present day. 

A council was called, and he asked permis- 
sion to stay awhile and trade. They deliber- 
ated, and returned the following answer: 

" You are the Sugar, for so you are called in our 
tongue, but you must not have too much sweetness 
on your lips. All the Oneida Indians say they have 
heard that you are come only under a pretense to 
get our lands from us; but this must not be. My 
young warriors will not suffer any Englishman to 
settle here. You are like the Great Chief General 
Johnson, who asked for a spot of ground, or large 
bed, to lie on; and when Hendrick, the Chief of the 
Mohawks, had granted his request, he got posses- 
sion of a great quantity of our hunting grounds; and 
we have reason to think that you intend to dream us 
out of our natural rights. We loved Sir William, 
and, therefore, consented to all his requests; but 
you are a stranger, and must not take these liberties; 
therefore, my advice is, that you depart to-morrow, 
at break of day, or you will be plundered by the 
young warriors, and it will not be in our power to 
redress you." 

He " departed " for Fort Oswego, which he 
attempted to pass without permission; but 
was prevented by a sentinel, and his goods 
were all seized and confiscated. 



In this miserable condition he got across to 
Cataroqui (Kingston), and put up at Howell's 
tavern. He afterwards took up 500 acres of 
land in this region, on the Canada side ; but 
not liking the tame routine of farm life, he 
obtained another stock of goods, retired up 
the lake, and established himself at Piinitis- 
cotyan Landing, on Lake Ontario. He had 
scarcely opened his preinises for trade, before 
an officer took possession of everything he 
could find, even to the tent that sheltered him 
from the weather, and carried them down to 
Montreal, where everything was sold for less 
than a fourth part of its cost. Again stripped 
of his all, Mr. Long retired to the " Bay of 
Kenty," and lived ten months among the 
friendly United English Loyalists. Early in 
the spring of 1786, he crossed to Carlton 
Island, and thence proceeded to Oswego, in- 
tending to go into the States by post. Hav- 
ing no pass, he was there stopped, but returning 
eastward, he resolved to proceed from Salmon 
River through the woods to Fort Stanwix. 
Having rested a day, he set out with five 
pounds of pork, and two loaves of bread, with 
a companion, and a faithful Indian as a 
guide — but the old path was obliterated; they 
suffered great hardships, and were finally 
thankful at being, able to get back to their 
point of departure alive. From there they 
made their way to Oswego along the shore, a 
distance not over twenty miles, but they were 
six days on the way. Towards the last, they 
were entirely without food, except wild onions 
(leeks); but, fortunately, they found on the 
sand about a hundred and forty birds' eggs, 
which they boiled and eagerly devoured, not- 
withstanding the greater part had young birds 
in them, with small down on their bodies. 
They were again turned back, and advised to 
proceed either to Niagara or Montreal, with- 
out further attempting to run their blockade. 
He adopted the latter alternative. 

At this period, there were along the north 
bank of the St. Lawrence, beginning at Point 
au Baudet, and extending to the head of the 
Bay of Quinte, about ten thousand inhabi- 
tants, mostly Loyalists from the States, who 
had been driven out by the Revolution, and 



DESCRIPTIO.XS OF THE THOUSAXD /SLANDS. 



199 



who were truly faithful subjects of the Britisli 
Crown. 

Cataroqui, or Fort Frontenac, was, in his 
da)v held by a small garrison, and a com- 
manding officer, who examined all boats that 
passed either to the new settlements or the 
upper posts. Mr. Long gives some notes 
upon the military defenses of this frontier, on 
the south side of the lake, after the close of 
the Revolution, that have historical interest : 

"The first post I shall notice is Oswegatchie, on 
the River St. Lawrence, about one hundred and fifty 
miles above Montreal, at the mouth of the Black 
River, where there are about a hundred savages, 
who occasionally frequent it, and are called Oswe- 
gatchie Indians, although they belong to the tribes 
of the Five Nations. To this fort the inhabitants 
from New England may with ease transport goods to 
supply the Mohawks, Cahnauages, Connecedagas, 
St Regis, and some straggling Messesawger In- 
dians, who live near the Detroit, at a smaller ex- 
pense than they can possibly be obtained from the 
merchants of Quebec and Montreal, but particularly 
rum — which has now become an essential requisite 
in every transaction with the savages ; for though 
they used formerly often to complain of the intro- 
duction of strong-water by the traders (as appears 
by the language of their chiefs in Council), to the 
prejudice of their young men, yet they have not now 
the resolution to refrain from the use of it. On the 
contrary, it is become so familiar, and even neces- 
sary to them, that a drunken frolic is looked upon 
as an indispensable requisite in a barter, and antici- 
pated with extreme delight- 

" Carleton Island is higher up the river, and has 
greater conveniences annexed to it than Oswe- 
gatchie, having an excellent harbor, with a strong 
fortification, well garrisoned. It aflJbrds excellent 
accommodation for shipping, and may be considered 
as the naval storehouse for supplying Niagara and 
the other posts. There are vessels of considerable 
bulk constantly sailing from thence to Niagara, 
Oswego, etc. There is also a Commodore of the 
Lakes, whose residence is on the Island." 

Mr. Long gives some sketches of Indian 
life as it then e.xisted in this region, that may 
be read with interest : 

" Early one winter a newly married couple arrived, 
and having given them a little rum, they got very 
merry: and perceiving the woman was in great 
humor, I desired her to sing a love song, which she 
consented to do with cheerfulness. 

The Song. 
" Debwoye, nee zargay ween aighter, payshik 
oathty, seizee-bockquoit shenargussey me tarbircoach 



nepeech cassawicka ncpoo, moszack pemartus, 
seizeebockquoit meteek." 

" It is true I love him only whose heart is like the 
sweet sap that runs from the sugar-tree, and is 
brother to the aspen-leaf that always lives ,ind 
shivers " 

In one of his descriptions, it would appear 
that he tarried among the Thousand Islands. 
The description is too obscure for us now to 
locate the place — but the account is as fol- 
lows: 

" I was then left with two white men, and two In- 
dians and their wives. We passed our time in hunt- 
ing and fishing; and as there were a great many 
small islands near us, we made frequent trips to 
shoot wild fowl, which enabled us to keep a good 
table. On one of the islands we discovered two 
Indian huts, but from their appearance no one had 
visited them for a length of time. Abut half a mile 
from the place we saw a high pole, daubed over with 
Vermillion paint; on the top were placed three hu- 
man skulls, and bones hung around. The Indians 
supposed it had been erected many years. About 
an hour before sunset we returned to our wigwams." 

When he was living on the lake shore not 
far from the eastern end, he had a large dog 
for protecting himself and property. An In- 
dian one day came in, rather the worse for 
rum, and attempted to strike the dog ; but the 
animal instantly seized him by the calf of the 
leg, and wounded him dreadfully. The In- 
dian returned to his hut, and made no com- 
plaint till the next day, when, being sober, he 
called and desired to speak to our trader. 
He told the master how he had been used by 
the dog, saying he hoped he would give him a 
new pair of leggins to supply those which the 
dog had torn; but that with regard to his leg, 
he did not trouble himself much about that, 
as he knew it would soon be well. Wounded 
flesh would heal — torn leather, never. The 
request was granted ; the Indian retired with 
a bottle of rum as a present, with which he 
seemed well pleased, and nothing more was 
heard of the matter. 

P. Campbell — {1791)- 
This traveller set out from the Highlands of 
Scotland with an intention of exploring the 
interior of North America, and with an old 
and faithful servant, a dog and a gun, he trav- 
elled much in the wilderness, in birch-bark 



200 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



canoes, and through regions where comfort 
and safety were scarcely to be looked for, and 
often not enjoyed. Thus writing from day to 
day, in a canoe, or on the stumps of trees, or 
by the dim fire-light of a settler's cabin, he 
has given us impressions of the country as he 
saw it, that make up in vivid description for 
what he may lack in style. He had learned 
from a British officer that a lady was living on 
his way, whom he had known when she was a 
child, in a poor widow's family that he had 
befriended in time of need, and he resolved 
to visit her. She had married Captain Thomas 

F , and was living not far from the river. 

We cannot describe the incident, which gives 
a pleasant glimpse of domestic life in those 
days, better than in his own language : 

" When I came opposite to Captain F 's house, 

which was a little way from the road, my servant 
said that was the place we had been directed to ; 
but, on my looking about and remarking the good 
house, but a still larger barn of two stories high, 
several office-houses, barracks or Dutch barns, the 
sufficiency and regularity of the rails, and extent of 
the enclosures, — considerable flocks of turkeys, 
geese, ducks and fowls, I said it could be no High- 
lander that owned that place, — that the barracks or 
Dutch barns were foreign to any Scotchman what- 
ever ; that I had not hitherto seen any of them that 
had such a thing; and that he must be a German 
who lived in that place. Still he affirmed this must 
be it, agreeable to the directions we had ; but I 
could not be persuaded, and pushed on to the next 
house which was then in sight. When I came up, I 

asked for Captain F 's, and was told I had left it 

behind ; I, therefore, had to return. 

"When I came in, they took no sort of notice of 
me, further than desiring me to sit down. My 
trowsers being torn with the bushes, and the rest of 
my dress being in the like situation, they supposed 
me to be a Yankee come from the States. After 
sitting awhile in this way, nobody speaking to me, 
or I to them, as Mrs. F— — happened to sit by me, 
I looked full in her face ; and clearly recognizing 
her features, I accosted her in Gaelic and asked her 
if she had ever seen me before. She could not say 
whether she had or not. This turned the eyes of 
everybody in the house toward us ; but on my ask- 
ing if she had heard of or known such a person, 
naming myself, she said she did, and knew him 
very well, but could not suppose that I was him. 
On my saying I was, she turned about to her hus- 
band : ' My dear,' she said, ' this is the gentleman 
whom I often told you was so kind to us when he 



was Forester of Mam-Lorn ; and whatever disputes 
we and our neighbors had when our cattle trespassed 
upon the Forest, he always favored our family.' 

" Captain F on this instantly welcomed me to 

his house, and ordered dinner and venison steaks to 
be got ready immediately. While dinner was get- 
ting, Mrs. F showed me nine or ten large, fat 

hogs, then lying dead on the floor of her keeping- 
house, aijd said they, every fall, killed twenty such, 
and two (at oxen, besides other provisions for their 

winter's store. After dinner Captain F treated 

me with port wine until we could drink no more, 
and pressed me much to stay that night; but as the 
boats had passed, I could not wait. When he found 
that I would be away, he ordered a couple of horses 
to be saddled immediately. * * * * 

The boats arriving, I stepped on board, and the 
water now becoming smooth and more like a lake 
than a running stream, the wind favorable, we put 
up sails and made great way till late at night, when 
we put up at a poor, lame, ragged man's house, with 
a numerous family of small children ; but the wife 
was buxom and well dressed. I and my Canadian 
crew threw ourselves down upon the floor opposite 
to the fire and slept soundly till four o'clock next 
morning, when we got up and set off in the usual 
w.iy. The wind still favored us, and we soon en- 
tered the Thousand Islands, which never were, nor 
do I suppose ever will be counted, by reason of 
their numbers, and for which reason they were for 
merly called by the French, and now by the British, 
the Mille lies. They are of very little value, and 
produce nothing but scraggy wood of useless pine. 
Here are innumerable flocks of water fowl, mostly 
of the teal kind. Such a diversity of creeks, bays, 
channels and harbors, I suppose is rarely to be met 
with in the world ; and if a crew be not well ac- 
quainted with the direct course, and if they once 
miss it, they may chance to be bewildered, and for 
days may not find it again. After passing these 
islands, we entered upon the lower end of Lake On- 
tario, and about night-fall arrived at Frontenac or 
Cataroqui, now called Kingston, and put up at the 
Coffee House." 

Mr. Campbell describes Kingston as a young 
but promising town, most beautifully located, 
and already (within eight years after the be- 
ginning) a place of considerable trade. Over 
6,000 bushels of wheat had been bought up 
and stored here the year before, and at least a 
fourth more would be purchased each suc- 
ceeding year. He was told that six score of 
deer had been sold in town the same year, 
and venison was sold every day in the market. 
He met old acquaintances and formed new 



DESCR/PT/OMS OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS- 



201 



ones, and greatly admired Parson Stuart's 
farm, and the prospect from Sir John John- 
son's house, tliat commanded a fine view of 
the harbor and town. Kingston was then 
looking forward to a time that seemed near, 
when the governor-general would here fix his 
abode, and the place would become a great 
emporium of trade, and the seat of government 
of Canada. 

On the 24th of November, 1791, Mr. Camp- 
bell took passage on board the sloop " Col- 
ville," Captain Baker, for Niagara. The vessel 
was armed with two six-pounders and two 
swivels, and he had as a fellow passenger, 
Lieut. William McKay, a fellow countryman, 
whom he had met in Kingston. The day was 
hazy, and the wind fair, but promised no con- 
tinuance at this late period in the year, and 
just on the verge of winter. The early part of 
his voyage brings us to a point of especial 
iterest : 

"We passed several large, woody, uninhabited 
islands. About night-fall, the wind changed to 
straight ahead — the captain, quite drunk, went to 
bed, the crew, little better, went to rest, and indeed, 
were almost useless when sober, as they seemed to 
know scarce anything at all of their business. No 
watch or reckoning was kept, and but an ignorant 
wretch at the helm. The wind increased, and now 
became a storm. In this way, beating to the wind- 
ward, the night dark, and surrounded by land-shoals 
and islands, our situation could not be very agree- 
able. None of us knew where we were, and in fear 
of being aground every moment. A man was ordered 
to sound, and once sung out of a sudden, ' five 
fathoms.' I expected the next moment to hear her 
strike. The ship was put about, and the mistake in 
the sounding discovered to be owing to the ignorance 
of the sailor, and the lines having been entangled in 
the rails, as at the next sounding, no bottom was 
found. From these circumstances I clearly saw that if 
we escaped being wrecked, it would be a mere 
chance, and it appeared that there was at least five 
to one against us. * * * But drunk as this man 
was, before he went to bed, he ordered the main-sail 
to be double-reefed, and the fore-sail to be handled , — 
a precaution I was very glad to see. About midnight 
a severe blast or hurricane was heard coming on. 
The man at the helm sung out, which brought the 
captain and all the crew on deck, who got all the 
sails handled, and we now went under bare poles ; 
that done, he again returned to bed, eternally bawl- 
ing out, 'Oh! my poor family!' and with the next 
breath, ' Let us all go to together ! ' Thus we 



continued till day-light. llic surge ran very high, 
but not equal to that I have seen on sea; and as the 
wind blew very fresh and hard against us, we had 
nothing for it but to return back and anchor at 2 v. u. 
at the head of Carlton island, opposite to Kingston; 
but as several large islands were between us and the 
town, they could not see us, or know what had 
become of us. The 25th, 26th and 27th, we lay here 
without stirring, the wind continually ahead or calm. 
"On the 2Sth I went on shore on Carlton island, 
where the British had a garrison last war. The bar- 
racks, dry-ditch and rampart are still remaining, but 
in a decayed state. A sergeant and twelve men are 
kept here, to prevent the barracks from being burnt 
by the Indians, and the Americans from taking pos- 
session of it and the dismounted guns thereon. The 
cause assigned for our forsaking this post is said to 
be, because it is doubtful whether these islands be 
within the British or American lines." 

They tried to get off on the 2gth, but were 
soon obliged to return and anchor, and the 
next day they went hunting on the New York 
shore. They durst not venture far into the 
woods, and killed nothing, but afterwards had 
better luck upon some of the islands. Thus 
day after day, for ten days, they were detained 
by adverse winds, and even after getting well 
on their voyage, they were enveloped in fogs 
of hoar-frost, and so benumbed with cold, that 
it seemed almost necessary to turn about for 
Kingston and winter there. The fog cleared 
up at last, and they got safely in at Niagara. 

It being very cold, the captain invited our 
traveller into his house to warm him, — and this 
gave hitn an occasion to note down the fol- 
lowing reflection in the interest of temper- 
ance : 

" I there found a decent looking young woman, 
his wife, with five beautiful children, of whom the 
father seemed uncommonly fond; and though their 
whole support, and in a manner their existence, 
depended on his life and industry, j'et such is his 
love of grog that it would seem he would forsake 
them and every other consideration in the world for 
its sake; at least, that he would not forsake it for 
them." 

La Rochefoulcauld-Liancourt. — (1795). 

Francois- Alexandre-Frederic La Rochefou- 
cauld-Liancourt, a French Duke, and a dis- 
tinguished philanthropist, was born in 1747 
and died in 1827. A faithful adherent of the 
unfortunate Louis XVI, he was obliged to 



202 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



emigrate, on the approach of the French 
Revolution, and was several years in England 
and America. He returned to France under 
the Consulate, and resumed the efforts he 
had formerly made for the improvement of 
agriculture and the industries. He was one 
of the chief promoters of vaccination in 
France, and took an active part in various 
measiires of education, benevolence and re- 
form, holding high positions in public and 
social life, and scattering seeds of kindness 
with generous hand. He lived to see the 
fruits of many salutary measures that he was 
active in promoting. His son, Frederick G., 
who died in 1863, was distinguished for his 
literary publications. 

The duke, after passing through the coun- 
try to Niagara, remained some time in Upper 
Canada, as the guest of Lieut. -Gov. Siracoe, 
at Newark, then the seat of government of 
the Upper Province. From thence he took 
passage for Kingston, on board the Onondaga, 
one of the armed vessels belonging to the 
British naval force on Lake Ontario. This 
vessel was pierced for twelve six-pounders, 
but carried only six. It was employed in 
carrying freight for the merchants, when the 
public service allowed. The passage was 
usually performed in thirty-six hours, being 
sometimes ten or twelve hours, less or more, 
according to the wind. At Kingston, he 
hoped to receive from Lord Dorchester, the 
governor-general, a pass allowing him to pro- 
ceed to Lower Canada. He was thus de- 
tained there several days, and finally received 
a letter absolutely forbidding him from going 
down the river. This made it necessary for 
him to cross over to Oswego, and proceed 
from thence by water to New York. During 
his sojourn at Kingston, the duke was able to 
obtain much information about the country, 
and his record concerning Carlton Island is 
particularly explicit. Of Kingston, he says : 

" The barracks are built on the site of Fort Fron- 
tenac, which was built by the French, .ind leveled by 
the English. The latter built these barracks about 
six years ago. During the American war their 
troops were constantly in motion; and in later limes 
thev were quartered on an Island which the French 
call Isle aux Chevreaux [Goat Island], and which the 



English have named Carlton, after Lord Dor- 
chester." 

In the conflict of interests for securing the 
seat of government in Upper Canada, Lord 
Dorchester preferred Kingston, while Lieu- 
tenant-Governor Simcoe insisted upon the ad- 
vantages offered in the country between Lakes 
Erie and Ontario. At the period when the 
Duke visited Upper Canada, the capital was 
located at Newark; but the treaty of the pre- 
vious year stipulated for the surrender of the 
posts still held by the British on the Ameri- 
can shore, and York or Toronto was soon 
after selected. 

The trade of Kingston at this period con- 
sisted chiefly of peltries from the Upper Lake 
country, and in supplies brought up the river 
from Montreal. There were then three mer- 
chant ships on the lake, that made eleven 
voyages in a year. The town contained about 
one hundred and twenty or thirty houses, 
none more distinguished than the rest, and 
the only one conspicuous was the barracks, a 
stone building surrounded by a palisade. All 
of the houses stood on the northern bank of 
the bay, which stretched a mile farther into 
the country, while on the southern bank 
were the buildings belonging to the navy, and 
the dwellings of those connected with that de- 
partment. There the King's ships lay at 
anchor, apart from the port where the mer- 
chant vessels landed. 

The duke speaks kindly of the Rev. John 
.Stuart, curate of Kingston, a native of Har- 
risburg, Pa., who sided with the Loyalists of 
the Revolution, and received a grant of 2,000 
acres near Kingston, a part of which, about 
seventy acres, he cultivated himself. Although 
decidedly loyal, he was still liberal in his 
politics — a man of much general information 
— mild, open and affable, and universally re- 
spected. There was then but one church in 
Kingston, lately built, and more resembling a 
barn than a church. 

IsA.'\c Weld, Jr. 

Mr. Weld was an Irish gentleman, who was ** 
induced by political troubles to leave Ireland 
in 1795, with the view of observing the op- 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



205 



portunities for settlement which iVmerica 
afforded. His " Travels Through the States 
of North America and the Provinces of Upper 
and Lower Canada, in 1795-96-97," were 
published in quarto in 1799, and afterwards 
in other editions in English and French. We 
find in this work an abundance of economical 
and statistical facts, an ardent appreciation of 
the beauties of nature, and a candid picture 
of social institutions and domestic life, that 
gave it a permanent value. 

Washington Irving — (1803-1853). 

In the summer of 1803, Washington Irving, 
then a youth of twenty years, made a journey 
to Ogdensburg, by way of the Mohawk and 
Black River Valleys, in company with the 
families of some land-proprietors of St. Law- 
rence county. From the High Falls on Black 
river [Lyon's Falls], they floated down on a 
scow to the Long Falls [Carthage], consuming 
•two days on this voyage of foity-two miles, 
the intervening night being spent in a humble 
log cabin on the bank of the river, in Low- 
ville. Soon after starting on the second day, 
they had an exciting chase of a deer swim- 
ming the river, and finally secured it. 

On reaching the foot of navigation, at the 
beginning of the Long Falls, they found only 
one public house, which was kept by a French- 
man, the last survivor of the '' Castorland 
Colony," and of this he says : 

"A dirtier house was never seen. We 
dubbed it ' The Temple of Dirt,' but con- 
trived to have the venison cooked by a ser- 
vant, and with crackers and gingerbread felt 
quite independent." Before leaving next 
morning, Irving wrote with a pencil over the 
fire-place the following verse: 

" Here Sovereign Dirt erects her sable throne, 
The house, the host, the hostess all her own." 

Some years after, Mr. Hoffman (who was 
with Irving on this occasion) put up at the 
same house, in company with Judge William 
Cooper (father of J. Fenimore Cooper, the 
novelist), and their attention being attracted 
by the legend, the judge, who had seen too 
much of pioneer life to be over-nice about 
trifles, wrote underneath : 



" Lc.irii hence, voiing man, and leach it to your sons, 
The wisest way's to take it as it comes." 

The remaining sixty tniles of Irving's 
journey led through a wilderness along a 
road newly cut, and in a vehicle drawn by 
oxen. 

Coming by railroad from Lake Champlain 
to Ogdensburg, Irving says : 

" Here we passed part of a day — a very interesting 
one to me. Fifty years had elapsed since I had vis- 
ited the place in company with a party of gentlemen- 
proprietors, with some ladies of their families. It 
was then a wilderness, and we were quartered in the 
remains of an old French fort at the confluence of 
the Oswegatchie and the St. Lawrence. It was all a 
scene of romance to me, for I was then a mere strip- 
ling, and everything was strange and full of poetry. 
The country was covered with forest; the Indians 
still inhabited some islands in the river, and prowled 
about in their canoes. There were two young ladies 
of the party to sympathize in my romantic feelings, 
and we passed some happy daj-s here, exploring the 
forests, or gliding in our canoe on the rivers. 

"In my present visit I found, with difficulty, the 
site of the old French fort, but all traces of it were 
gone. I looked round on the surrounding country 
and river. All was changed. A populous citj' oc- 
cupied both sides of the Oswegatchie, great steamers 
ploughed the St. Lawrence, the opposite Canada 
shore was studded with towns and villages. I sat 
down on the river bank, where we used to embark 
in our canoes, and thought on the two lovely girls 
who used to navigate it with me, and the joyous 
parly who used to cheer us from the shore. All had 
passed away — all were dead I I was the sole sur- 
vivor of that happy party: and here I had returned, 
after a lapse of fifty years, to sit down and meditate 
on the mutability of all things, and to wonder that I 
was still alive." 

Mr. Irving lived about six years after this 
journey, and died November 28, 1859. 

JOHAN Georg Kohl — (1854). 
Of the numerous quotations we have made, 
there is not one more worthy of notice 
than that of the distinguished traveller and 
learned geographer, Johan Georg Kohl, Ph. 1). 
His voluminous publications, including travels 
in every part of Middle and Nothern Europe, 
and his admirable geographical memoirs (the 
most valued of which by Americans is his 
elaborate work on the Early Discoveries upon 
the Coast of Maine), have been uniformly re- 



2o6 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



garded as productions of high authority, as 
they evidently were of profound research. 
Dr. Kohl was born at Bremen in 1808, and 
was educated at the Universities of Gotlingen, 
Heidelburgh and Munich. He first studied 
law, but turning his attention to archeeological 
and scientific pursuits, he perhaps rendered 
the greater service to mankind. His work on 
the Influence of Climate upon Man, is one of 
particular merit. This writer returned home 
from America in 1858, and died October 28, 
1876. His sister, Madame Ida Kohl, was the 
author of several books of European travel. 

Dr. Kohl's full and intelligible description 
of the Islands, is enlivened by a poetic senti- 
ment, and by legendary associations that in- 
dicate a mind keenly alive to the beauties of 
nature, as well as thoroughly trained in the 
field of historical inquiry. His description of 
this region is as follows: 

"The middle of that portion of the St. Lawrence, 
which, as I have said, was formerlj' called Cataraqui, 
has become, I scarcely know wh)-, the chief centre of 
traffic for this part of the country. The two most 
important towns of the district here lie opposite one 
another, Prescott on the Canadian side, and Ogdens- 
burg on the American. Railroads from the interior 
terminate at both places, and there is therefore, a 
great deal of life and bustle on the water. The St. 
Lawrence is rather narrower at this point, and 
nowhere can a comparison be made more con- 
veniently between a Canadian and an American 
town. Prescott exhibits much darker hues than 
Ogdensburgh, where all loolis brighter and pleasanter; 
the houses of the former are built in solid style of 
grey stone, and the same building material that has 
served for Montreal. The Americans have a passion 
for white and green houses, and plant willows and 
other elegant trees between them, and the contrast 
might be continued to many other particulars were 
it worth while. You have before you at once a 
picture of the ' old country,' and one of the quite new. 

" Ogdensburg is the capital of the tract of land 
that I have described a chapter or two back; some 
miles beyond it lies another pretty river port, Brock- 
ville, and then again some miles further begins the 
celebrated 'Lake of a Thousand Islands;' but to 
have a clear idea of the origin and configuration of 
this lake, you must begin at Lake Ontario. 

'■ Lake Ontario forms on its western side a regu- 
larly drawn oval, with smoothly cut shores, and no 
considerable islands or appendages. On the north- 
eastern side, however, where its waters have broken 
.through the obstacles that opposed their progress, its 



hitherto broad, smooth expanse is broken up among 
numerous islands and peninsulas. 

" First comes the l;irge peninsula of Prince Ed- 
ward, then Duck Island, and several others, as well 
as long gulfs, bays and islets, breaking the land 
right and left. Then near Kingston, you have the 
Great Wolfe Island, Amherst Island, and others — 
rugged masses of land that the water could not over- 
come, or possibly which rose above the surface when 
the Ontario subsided into its present bed. At length, 
beyond Wolfe Island, the lake contracts to a breadth 
of six or seven miles, and here begins the ' Lake of 
the Thousand Islands.' These islands are, as the 
name indicates, extraordinarily numerous, and the 
water is split up into a corresponding number of 
channels, but at length the river develops itself 
again out of the labyrinth. For a distance of thirty 
miles, reckoning from Kingston, the waters contract 
more and more, hollow out a deeper and deeper 
channel, and wear away more and more of the 
islands, which gradually become less numerous, 
and cease entirely about a mile above Brockville. 
The current now becomes stronger, the two shores 
appear, the lake disappears, and the river takes its 
place; but this is for any one coming down the river; 
we were pursuing an opposite course. 

"The najne of the locality, 'Thousand Islands,' 
was probably bestowed by the Jesuits, or the cele- 
brated Canadian traveller, Champlain, who was the 
first discoverer of Lake Ontario. The number of 
the islands is, of course, only guessed at. Some 
make them 1,500, and some :is many as 2,000, as 
there perhaps may be, if they bestow the name of 
island on each separate bit of rock that sticks out 
of the water, or every reef or sand bar that lies just 
under it. 

" Half of these islands lie along the American 
shore, the rest nearer to Canada, and the frontier 
line has been drawn between the two, and the chan- 
nel for steamers keeps pretty closely to that line. 
The whole scene is renowned as interesting and pic- 
turesque, both in the United States and Canada, and 
parties of pleasure, picnics, and sporting excursions 
are made to it both from Kingston and Brockville. 
People hire one of the elegant yachts or boats built 
at Kingston, and sail about with their friends froiu 
island to island, dine, camp under the trees, shoot 
the water-fowl, fish, and am se themselves in many 
ways. Many remain for days together, for the tours 
among these countless islands have something of the 
charm of discovery. One of the party, perhaps, de- 
clares he knows of an island that has never been 
visited ; another tells of a deep, wooded ba)', in 
whose clear, calm waters no one has yet tried to 
anchor. 

" We reached the first of the islands, a little above 
Brockville, and soon found ourselves surrounded by 
them ; sometimes lying in a long string, like a row of 



DESCRfPTfO.VS OF THE TlIOUSAyi) /S/..I.\7)S. 



2C7 



beads; someliiiies Hung pell-mell. toffetlier in a heap. 
Some are large and covered with thick woods; all 
have trees, and there are some so small that they 
have only just room for one tree or a bush. There 
is an infinite variety in the grouping of the trees, too, 
some being gathered into social parties, some living 
as solitary hermits, so that perpetually new combi- 
nations are formed in the scenery. Some of the 
islands are just barely hidden under a thin covering 
of moss and other vegetation, and sometimes the 
crystal water is flowing over a mass of naked rocks 
that it barel)' covers. 

"The foundation of all these islands I believe to 
be granite, and in general they are not high, though 
picturesque pedestals are afforded for the trees by 
banks of twenty feet deep. The larger have hills 
and valleys, and arable land enough to be worth 
cultivating, though hitherto little has been obtained 
from them besides game, fish and wood. Villages 
there are none, and only a few scattered dwellings or 
shanties for sportsmen, wood-cutters, and lumber- 
men, with a few mechanical contrivances, such as 
are seen on the Ottawa, for the collecting and trans- 
porting of the felled trees. The islands all have 
owners, but as everywhere in America where land, 
wood and water remain unsettled, they have been to 
some e.Ktent invaded by squatters, whose huts we 
saw here and there on the shores, and the owners 
seldom offer any objection, as they consider that 
these people help to reclaim the land, and make 
some steps towards its cultivation. 

" The best time to visit the islands is in spring and 
in the early summer, for then the trees and shrubs 
are fragrant from every cliff; the woods are full of 
birds and various animals; and sometimes when the 
air is very hot, the water is so deliciously cool and 
fresh, that it is a delight to plunge into it. But in 
the cold autumn day when I visited the lake, the 
water is less attractive. Goethe's fisherman could 
onl}' have been enchanted by the Ni.xie on a warm 
summer's evening. 

"The autumn is, however, the loveliest time for 
one of the greatest attractions of the islands, and the 
green, red, yellow, brown and golden leafage was 
beautifully mirrored in the clear water beneath. 
Some of the islands, when the sunbeams fell on 
them, seemed quite to flame, and, in fact, this does 
sometimes happen in more than a metaphorical sense, 
and the burning woods produce, it is said, a most mag- 
nificent spectacle. If you chance to be passing in a 
steamer, you may enjo}' the sight nearer and more 
conveniently than a similar scene elsewhere, as the 
intervenin water renders it safe. The boats there 
run very close in shore and tin passengers can look 
deeply into the recesses of the blazing woods, and yet 
remain in security. I was told this by a gentleman 
who had enjoyed the sight: and another, who no- 
ticed the interest I took in these Thousand Islands. 



mentioned some further particulars. In his youth, 
he said, they were inhabited by Indians, remnants of 
the Iroquois, or Six Nations, to whom the whole 
north of the State of New York belonged. These 
islanders were called Mississagua, a name that still 
occurs in various localities on the St. Lawrence; 
their chief resided on one of the principal islands, 
and the rest of the tribe was scattered about on the 
others, in birch huts or tents. Their canoes were of 
the same material, and with these they used to glide 
softly over the water, and, in the numerous little 
bays, or arms of the river, surprise the fish, which, 
having never been disturbed by noisy steamers, filled 
the waters in countless abundance. The birds and 
other game were equally plentiful in the woods, but 
now, when greedy squatters and sportsmen, with 
guns, have e.\hausted the district, the islands arc 
comparatively devoid of animal life. 

" It was the practice among the Mississaguas, at 
certain times of the year, to leave the islands to their 
young people, and make great hunting expeditions 
northward into the interior of Canada, and south- 
ward into New York. My informant had visited 
them once when he was a young man, and being 
hospitably received, had afterwards repeated his 
visits, made acquaintances and friends among them, 
lived with them for weeks, and shared the joys and 
sorrows of the hunter's life. Once when he had 
been on a journey to Niagara and the west, and had 
been a long time absent, he could not desist when he 
passed the Thousand Islands on his return to his na- 
tive town, Brockville, from making a call by the way 
on his Mississagua friends. They recognized him 
immediately, gave him the warmest reception, and car- 
ried him on their shoulders to their chief, who made 
a great feast in his honor, and canoes full of Indians 
came gliding in crowds from the islands to see and 
welcome him. He had to pass the night among 
them ; the squaws prepared his couch, and two of 
the Indians insisted on serving him as a guard of 
honor at his tent door, where they camped out and 
kept the fire. ' I was almost moved to tears myself, 
sir, on seeing my half-savage friends again. Believe 
me, it is a race very susceptible to kindness, though 
at the same lime certainly very revengeful for inju- 
ries. They never forget their friends, but are very 
terrible and even treacherous against their enemies. 
We have very erroneous notions of the Indians. We 
call them poor and miserable, but they appear quite 
otherwise to themselves. They are proud of their 
prowess and animal daring, and of the performances 
of their forefathers. In fact, they think themselves 
the first race in creation.' 

" 'Are there now any remains of these proud peo- 
ple on the islands ?' 

" 'No. They have been scattered like the chafT; 
their fisheries and their hunting became continually 
less productive : the villages and towns of the whites 



208 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



grew up around them ; (hey began to feel the pres- 
sure of want ; their race died away like the fish in 
their waters, and at last the few who remained, ac- 
cepted a proposal of the government, that they should 
exchange these islands for a more remote habitation 
^I do not myself know exactly where.' '' 

We are here able to supply some informa- 
tion which our author had not the opportunity 
to obtain : 

Before the year 1S26, these Indians were pagans, 
wandering about in the neighborhood of Belleville, 
Kingston and Gananoque, and earning a precarious 
living by hunting and fishing. They claimed the 
title to a large tract north of the river, and the islands 
as far down as Prescott. Below that place the St. 
Regis Indians claimed, and these have never ceded 
to the government their right to the islands. 

In 1S26-7, between two and three hundred of these 
" Mississaguas of the Bay of Ouinte," as they were 
called, or more properly the Eagle band of the Chip- 
pewas, were induced to settle on Grape Island in the 
Bay of Quinte, about six miles from Belleville, 
where a Wesleyan Methodist Mission was estab- 
lished, schools opened, and the simpler arts of civil- 
ized life began to be introduced. Under kind and 
gentle treatment they made much progress, and 
began to plant and improve their homes with com- 
mendable zeal. After living eleven years on the 
island, they gave up their improvements, to be sold 
for their benefit, and removed to Alnwick, in the 
county of Northumberland, eighteen miles from Co- 
burg, and ten from Hastings, where a location of 
2,000 acres was secured to them by Sir John Col- 
burn, and laid out into farms of twenty-five acres 
each. Nine years after this removal, a report showed 
that their settlement had thirty-six dwellings, of 
which twenty-two were framed buildings and the 
rest of logs. They had from 360 to 400 acres cleared, 
and had a population of 233. 

Many years ago they ceded to the government 
their lands in Newcastle, Midland and Johnstown 
districts, and in 1S56 they relinquished the manage- 
ment of their property in the islands, reserving what- 
ever rents or profits might result therefrom. This 
trust is managed by the Indian branch of the De- 
partment of the Interior, at Ottawa. The report for 
the year ending June 30. 1S7S, gave the capital of 
their account as $81,408.61 — their revenue as 
$5,659.08, chiefly from interest, and the expenditures 
as I4, 254.69, chiefly in distribution to those entitled. 

Several of the larger islands were granted, or 
leased for long periods, a century or so since, and 
some of the smaller ones are held under Indian 
titles by residents upon them, or the owners of lands 
opposite. 

In the map of the Canadian islands prepared by 
Mr. Unwin, under date of June 14, 1873, upon a 



scale of ten chains to the inch, names or numbers 
are applied to all of them, 348 in number. They are 
divided among four agencies for supervision. By 
far the greater number of these islands are still 
wlioUy unoccupied, and in a state of nature, except 
as the timber has been despoiled by unauthorized 
persons for pleasure or profit, or as destroyed by 
fires. 

We will now resume the narrative of Dr. 
Kohl, on his voyage among the islands: 

"The only living being that appeared very com- 
mon here now was the bird the English call the 
loon. It is a water fowl as large as a goose, with a 
very thick head and long beak; its color black, with 
white spots on the wings. This large bird was 
swimming .about everywhere among the islands, and 
it was curious to see how exactly similar was the im- 
pulse of instinct in the numerous specimens that we 
met in the course of thirty miles. As long as our 
boat continued pretty far off, they swam quietly about 
on the glassy water, attending only to their own 
affairs, and busy in catching insects or fish; but as 
soon as we came within 300 yards, they shot up into 
the air, with their long necks stretched out, and roll- 
ing about their still longer heads, so as to look at us 
timidly, now with the right, and now with the left, 
eye. In the second state of their fear, this anxious 
movement was communicated to their whole body, 
and they steered alternately right and left, and at 
last flew straight on before us; but when they noticed 
that our winged steam monster was soon again 
within a hundred yards or so, they seemed fairly to 
give it up, — rolled their heads about a little more, 
and then threw a somersault, and went down heels 
over head in the water and disappeared. All these 
motions were repeated by every individual as exactly 
as if they had been previously agreed upon. 

"These Moons,' the ' wintergreens,' and the 
numerous watch-towers among the islands, were the 
only objects that attracted my attention. This win- 
tergrcen, or pyrola, is a low plant or bush, that does 
not at all, at least in the autumn, correspond with 
its name, for it looked blood-red, and covered the 
ground under the trees with a red carpet. Some- 
times it ran as a border round the islands, and then 
the groupsof trees seemed to be enclosed m a wreath 
of red flowers, as I have seen them in an English 
park. The light-houses, too, tended to convey the 
impression that we were not upon the mighty St. 
Lawrence, but on the artificial waters of some pleas- 
ure ground, — for they were elegant white buildings, 
like pavilions, or kiosks, sometimes hidden in a 
grove, sometimes rising from a little island or prom- 
ontory. They are numerous, and of course very 
necessary, as the winding watery channel is con- 
tinually changing its direction in this labyrinth of 
islands. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE TI/OCS.j.\D />/../ A7'5, 



!I I 



" By degrees — after you liave breakfasted once, 
and had one dinner — tlie garden comes to an end, 
and you emerge upon the open field — tliat is to say. 
the broad water, and tlie approacli of the Ontario 
and the city of Kingston is announced." 

Benson J. Lossinc;. — (1S50-1860). 

This well-known iiistorical writer has many 
allusions to the upper St. Lawrence, and the 
events with which they are associated. A\'hile 
collecting materials for liis " Pictorial Field- 
Book of the Revolution," he passed up the 
river by steamer, in the summer of 1850, and 
thus records his impressions of the scenery: 

" A calm, sweetly consonant with ideas of Sab- 
bath rest, was upon the main, the Islands, and the 
river, and all the day long not a breath of air rip, 
pled the silent-flowing, but mighty St. Lawrence. 
We passed the morning in alternately viewing ll>e 
ever-changing scene as our vessel sped towards On- 
tario, and in perusing Burke's ' Essay on the Sub- 
lime and Beautiful.' I never read that cliarming 
production with so much pleasure as tlicn, for illus- 
trative examples were on every side. And when, 
towards noon, our course was among the Tliousand 
Islands, the propriety of the stars as an example, by 
their number and confusion, of the cause of the idea 
of sublimity, was forcibly illustrated. "The appa- 
rent disorder,' he says, 'augments the grandeur, for 
the appearance of care is highly contrary to our idea 
of magnificence.' So with these Islands. They fill 
the St. Lawrence through nearly forty miles of its 
course, commencing directly opposite the city of 
Kingston, and varying in size from a few j'ards to 
eighteen miles in length. Some are mere syenitic 
rocks, bearing sufficient alluvium to produce cedar, 
spruce and pine shrubs, which seldom grow to the 
dignity of a tree; while others were beautifully 
fringed with luxuriant grass and shaded by loflv 
trees. A few of the larger are inhabited and culti- 
vated. There are twelve hundred and twenty seven 
in number. Viewed separately, they present nothing 
reinarkable, but scattered, as they are, so profusely 
and in such disorder, over the bosom of the river, 
their features constantly changing as we made our 
rapid way among them, an idea of magnificence and 
sublimity involuntarily possessed the mind, and 
wooed our attention from the tuition of books to 
that of Nature." 

Again, ten years later, while preparing his 
" Field-Book of the AVar of i8i2,"in referring 
to the Islands, he says : 

"This group of Islands, lying in the St Law 
rence, just below the fool of Lake Ontario, fill that 
river lor thirty-seven miles along its course, and 



number mote than fifteen hundred. .\ few of iliem 
arc huge and cultivated, but most of them arc mere 
rocky islets, covered generally with stunted hem- 
locks and cedar trees, which extend to the water's 
edge. Some of them contain an area of only a few 
square yards, while others present many superficial 
square miles. Canoes and small boats may pass in 
safely among all of ihem, and there is a deep chan- 
nel for steamboats and other large vessels, which 
never varies in depth and position, the bottoin being 
rocky. The St. Lawrence here varies from two to 
nine miles in width. The boundary-line between 
the United States and Canada passes among them. 
It was deterininud in 181S. The largest of the 
Islands are Grand and Howe, belonging to Canada, 
and Carlton, Grindstone and Wells belonging to the 
United Stales. They have been the theatre of many 
historic scenes and legendary tales during during two 
centuries and a half." 

JouuNEv 01' THE Prince OF W.'iLES. — (1S60.) 

In 1S60, the Prince of Wales (known in the 
United States as Baron Renfrew), accompa- 
nied by His Grace, the Duke of Newcastle, 
Secretary of State for the Colonies; the Earl 
of St. Germains, Steward to the Queen's 
Household; Major-General Bruce, Gover- 
nor to the Prince ; Dr. Ackland, the 
Prince's Physician ; Major Teesdale and 
Captain Grey, the Prince's Equerries, and Mr. 
Engleherst, private secretary to the Duke of 
Newcastle, travelled through portions of the 
United States and Canada. He was every- 
where received by the officials of both coun- 
tries with the honors due to his rank. Besides 
those properly belonging to his, suite were 
several correspondents of newspapers, who 
kept the public informed of the incidents of 
the journey, and several books were soon after 
published, giving these in a collected form. 
We present extracts from two of these works, 
one by a correspondent of the New York 
Herald, and the other by the writer represent- 
ing the London 'I'imes. The Prince, after 
visiting Lower Canada, proceeded to Ottawa, 
and laid the corner stone of the new Parlia- 
ment buildings, of what has since become the 
Dominion Government. From there he pro- 
ceeded to Brockville, where he took passage 
on board the steamer Kingston, and passed 
through this part of the St. Lawience on the 
3d of September, i860. 



212 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



At Kingston, the Orangemen had prepared 
to join in the reception of the Prince, in their 
regalia, justifying themselves in this by alleg- 
ing that the Catholics in Lower Canada had 
been recognized upon similar occasions. The 
Duke of Newcastle addressed a letter to the 
city officials, requesting them to prevent these 
partisan demonstrations, but neither party ap- 
peared willing to yield; and, after waiting 
nearly a day, the steamer proceeded on its 
way up the bay without landing. At Belle- 
ville a similar event happened, and at Toronto 
a serious misunderstanding arose from like 
causes. 

Reception of the Prince of Wales, as De- 
scribed BY KiNAHAN CORNWALLIS, COR- 
RESPONDENT OF THE New York Herald. 

The letters of this writer were afterwards 
collected in book form. The party arrived at 
the railway station by the Grand Trunk Rail- 
way, where our extract begins: 

" At twenty minutes to eight, the train entered 
Brockville; there the greatest crowd that RrockviUe 
ever gathered was seen at the railway station. 

" On stepping on the platform, the cheering pre- 
vented anything else being heard for several min- 
utes; but when this burst of jo)' and welcome had 
subsided, the Mayor of the town, accompanied by 
several members of the Common Council, advanced 
and read an address, to which His Ro3'al Highness 
replied. The Prince was conducted to his carriage, 
in which he took his seat beside the Governor-Gen- 
eral, with His Grace the Duke of Newcastle on the 
opposite seat. A torch-light procession of the fire- 
men and others was in waiting, and a general illu- 
mination had the effect, in the midst of the triumphal 
arches and other evergreen and floral decorations, of 
lending a species of fairy enchantment to the scene, 
which was one of the prettiest I have ever seen — far 
more so than that of the great Japanese Ball. The 
flaming torches in the background, the exploding 
rockets high above, the brilliant transparencies span- 
ning the streets, the Chinese lanterns swinging from 
roofs, and windows, and arches, the distant bonfires, 
the ringing church bells, and the ringing cheers, 
combined to make a spectacle as brilliant as it was 
exciting. The procession then moved forward 
towards the steamer Kingston at the wharf, — the fire- 
men and other torch-bearers following in the rear, 
and were saluted with fireworks that lent a terribly 
lurid aspect to the whole, at every point of their pro- 
gress. 

"The display was highly creditable to the towns- 



people, many of whom, however, went hoine very 
much disappointed at having been unable to catch a 
glimpse of the royal visitor. 

" On the next morning, the Prince appeared on 
the steamer's deck at nine o'clock, and being recog- 
nized by those on shore, there was great cheering. 
The steamer being anchored a short distance mid- 
stream, was surrounded by numerous boats filled 
with those eager to see him. At a quarter to eleven, 
he gratified a general wish b)' coming ashore in a 
small boat, and driving through the principal streets 
of the town. AH the resources of the place were 
taxed to provide carriages for the party, and with 
tolerable success, although there was a great want 
of uniformity in the size, color and shape of the 
vehicles and horses enlisted in the service. The 
Prince took his place in an open carriage by the side 
of the Governor-General, while the Duke of New- 
castle and Earl of St. Germains sat opposite. Lord 
Lyons and the suite followed in separate carriages. 
The streets were very dusty, owing parti/ to the 
crowd that ran alongside and before and behind the 
Prince's carriage, which was guarded by the police- 
men, one at either side, armed with batons. The 
roj-al party had to keep their e)'es shut for a while, 
but afterward the clouds diminished, both in volume 
and density. The drive lasted about half an hour. 

"At twenty minutes past twelve, the Kingston 
steamed away, and in a few minutes afterward was 
pursuing her course among the Thousand Islands. 

"The weather was fortunately warm and sunny, 
and the granite islands were seen to great advantage. 
There nature appeared to have fancifully prepared a 
grand proscenium to feast the travellers' eyes, for 
nothing could have exceeded in singularity the 
scene that presented itself. The mighty St. Law- 
rence — the ' Iroquois' of the red man — here, in ages 
long elapsed, urged its vexed waters, before pent 
up in the vast inland basin of North America, 
against that portion of the primitive barrier which 
visibly extends from tlie granite mountains of the 
east over to the dividing ridge between the wild 
regions of Hudson's Bay and the tributary waters of 
the Ottawa and St. Lawrence ; and, here, by some 
tremendous effort, which' has evidently shaken the 
whole country irom Kingston, at the eastern extrem- 
ity of Lake Ontario, to the other side of the region 
through which the granite ridge pursues its north- 
westerly course, the river has at one time rushed 
over a sheet of cascades and rapids miles in breadth, 
but which have long disappeared under the wearing 
influence of time. Island succeeded Island, group 
succeeded group, till the eye almost wearied of the 
succession. Most of these were beautifully wooded, 
and many of them so low and flat as to suggest to 
the mind the tranquil prospect of an Italian lagoon. 
Others again were split and rent into a variety of 
fantastic forms, forming views of peculiar wildness. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



21' 



A turn ill llie cliunncl disclosed a new labyrinlli, 
while we passed under a dark wall of rock, coated 
with moss and lichens that had likely flourished 
there for generations, and from whose bare and rug- 
ged top the hoary fir lifted its sombre head. Further 
on, a light-house stood perched on a rock, and fur- 
ther, still another. All was still and lonely — the 
cerulean vault above, the tranquil tide below — the 
sunshine over all. Was the poetry of the scene felt 
by that fair young man gazing so calmlj', so thought- 
fully upon it from the deck of that steamer, over 
which the rich tints of a Prince of Wales' standard 



autumnal sky, and this sheet of water reliecled the 
forms of an assemblage of islets of the most pic- 
turesque, diversified and Inviting aspect; here a 
naked crag, there a majestic bouquet, yonder a 
clump of trees, or a perfect island supporting a 
solitary stem. Such happy confusion, such an in- 
discriminate sprinkling of all shapes and sizes and 
varieties of vegetation, was unique in the extreme. 
" As we neared Kingston, after leaving Brock- 
vlUe, the channel by which we had advanced, and 
which was formed by Long Island, on the borders 
of which were several islets, and by the mainland. 




THE JOSEPH BONAPARTE HOUSE, AT NATfRAL lilUDGE, \. V. 



Haunted in the sun? If I were a novelist, I would 
say, ' Yes.' 

"Then another fairy picture presented itself in 
groves, growing, as it were, out of the water, and 
seeming to bar our further progress, till suddenly 
the sylvan curtain was withdrawn, and the eye wand- 
ered over a wide sweep of water, dotted here and 
there with a few small rocks, and bounded by the 
endless forest of the mainland. Towns and villages 
were meanwhile passed on either shore, and once a 
lonely fisherman was seen practicing his gentle art 
in a small row-boat. The islands extended the 
whole way from Brockville to Kingston, but the 
most compact cluster was seen in front of Alexandria 
Bay. Here the view was exquisite. A wide ex- 
panse of river reposed, mirror-like, beneath the rich 



Pittsburgh and Kingston, gradually widened. These 
were well wooded, and the larger one disclosed 
several neat farms." 

The Thousand Islands as Described by 
N. A. Woods, Correspondent of the 
London Times. — The Isle of Dogs. 

After pleasantly discoursing of the rapids of 
the lower St. Lawrence which appeared after 
all to be not very difficult to descend, and no 
great affair, notwithstanding all that had been 
said of their awful grandeur, he remarks : 

" This language is dre.adful guide-book heresy, of 
course, but the worst Is yet to come, Canadians lell 



214 



.4 SOU]-E.\UR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



yen that if there is anything better worth seeing tlian 
the rapids, it is the Thousand Islands, which dot the 
surface of the St. Lawrence just where Lake Ontario 
and the river commence. Here, you are told the 
rich grandeur of the Hudson, the luxuriance of the 
Bosphorus, the wild, stern magnificence of the Sagu- 
enay, and, for aught j'ou hear to the contrary the 
flowing beauty of the Euphrates in spring, may all be 
met with. 

"It is a trying thing to have to contend against 
such notions; but if an individual opinion is worth 
anything, I must unhesitatingly give mine, that these 
Thousand Islands are in their way a delusion and a 
snare, and will as much bear comparison with the 
Hudson or the Saguenay, or the Bosphorus, as the 
Thames below Blackwall. Take slips of the Isle of 
Dogs of all sizes, from an island as large as a foot- 
stool, up to ten or twelve acres; plant the larger ones 
with stunted firs; strew the little ones over with 
broken stones as if they were about to be macada- 
mized, put them near the surface of the water in a 
mechanical disarranging confusion without pic- 
turesqueness, and number without variety, — imagine 
them choking the highway of a noble river, and you 
can fancy yourself on the St. Lawrence, and in the 
middle of the far-famed Thousand Isles.'' 

It appears, a few pages further on, that the 
writer of the above extract, took the railroad 
from Brockville to Kingston, nor does it any- 
where appear that he saw tlie river at any 
point between these two places. His recipe 
for making " Thousand Islands," will, there- 
fore, very probably be classed with the pre- 
scriptions of the quack, who might recommend 
an untried remedy for a patient he had never 
seen. 

To better appreciate liis brilliant compari- 
son, we should remember that this Isle of 
Dogs lies in a bend in the Thames, within 
five miles of ,St. Paul's Church, London. It 
consists of some 600 acres, and a part of it cov- 
ered with steam-factories, chain-cable works 
and other establishments incident to the com- 
merce and industries of the great metropolis, 
while much of the remainder is covered seven 
feet deep at every high tide. Out of such 
materials this pleasant writer requests his 
readers to construct the ideal of the Thousand 
Islands of the St. Lawrence ! 

VV. D. HowELLS.— (1872.) 

In a pleasant little romance, full of wit and 
sentiment, called "Their Wedding Journey," 



this writer describes the ideal incidents of a 
journey over some of the more fashionable 
routes of northern travel, with a fidelity that 
proves his personal familiarity with the locali- 
ties described. The romantic couple, whose 
adventures he is describing, had come from 
Niagara, and had just left the landing at 
Kingston, vvhere our extract begins: 

" Kingston has romantic memories of being Fort 
Frontenac two hundred years ago; of Count Fron- 
tenac's splendid advent among the Indians; of the 
brave La Salle, who turned its wooden walls to stone; 
of wars with the savages and then with the New 
York Colonists, whom the French and their allies 
harried from this point; of the destruction of La 
Salle's fort in the old French war; and of final sur- 
render a few years later to the English. It is as pic- 
turesque as it is historical. All about the city, the 
shores are beautifully wooded, and there are many 
lovely islands — the first, indeed, of those Thousand 
Islands with which the head of the St. Lawrence is 
filled, and among which the steamer was presently 
threading her way. They are as charming, and still 
almost as wild as when, in 1673, Frontenac's flotilla 
of canoes passed through their labyrinth, and issued 
upon the lake. Save for a light-house upon one of 
them, there is almost nothing to show that the foot 
of man has ever pressed the thin grass clinging to 
their rocky surfaces, and keeping its green in the 
eternal shadow of their pines and cedars. In the 
warm inorning light they gathered or dispersed be- 
fore the advancing vessel, which some of them 
almost touched with the plumage of their evergreens; 
and where none of them were large, some of them 
were so small that it would not have been too bold 
to figure them as a vaster race of water-birds assem- 
bling and separating in her course. It is curiously 
affecting to find them so unclaimed yet from the 
solitude of the vanished wilderness, and scarcely 
touched even by tradition. But for the interest left 
them by the French, these tiny islands have scarcely 
any associations, and must be enjoyed for their 
beauty alone. There is about them a faint light of 
legend concerning the Canadian rebellion of 1837, 
for several ' patriots' are said to have taken refuge 
amidst their lovely inultitude; but this episode of 
modern history is difficult for the imagination to 
manage, and somehow one does not take sentimen- 
tally even to that daughter of a lurking 'patriot,' 
who long baffled her father's pursuers by rowing him 
from one island to another, and supplying him with 
food by night. 

" Either the reluctance is from the natural desire 
that so recent a heroine should be founded on fact, 
or it is mere perverseness. Perhaps I ought to say, 
in justice to her, that it was one of her own se.\ who 



DESCR/PTIONS OF THE TUOrSAXn ISI.AXDS. 



217 



refused to be inlercsleil in lier, nnd forbade Basil 10 
care for her. When lie had read of her exploit from 
the guide-book, Isabel asked hiin if he had noticed 
that handsome girl in the blue and striped Garibaldi 
and Swiss hat, that had come aboard at Kingston." 

Visit of the Editors' and Publishrrs' 
Association of the State of New- 
York. — (1872.) 

Perhaps no incident has contributed to 
bring more widely before the public a knowl- 
edge of the beautiful scenery of the Thousand 
Islands than the occasion of the annual meet- 
ing of the association above named, at Water- 
town, in 1872. This association had been 
formed as early as 1853, but its annual gather- 
ings had been interrupted by the war. Par- 
taking of a social as well as of a professional 
character, these meetings had come to be re- 
garded as both pleasant and profitable to the 
members and their families; and on the second 
day of the convention at Watertown (June 26, 
1872), the whole day was given up to a rail- 
road and steamboat excursion to the Thou- 
sand Islands. 

The R., W. & O. R. R. Co. had provided a 
train of eight cars, drawn by the engine 
"Antwerp," gaily adorned with flags, ever- 
greens and flowers, which took the party 
(about 200 in number) to Cape Vincent, from 
which a steamer conveyed them down among 
the islands — stopping at Clayton for a recep- 
tion, and dining in the open air on Pullman's 
Island. The day was beautifully calm, and 
the islands, in the full verdure of early sum- 
mer, appeared to best advantage. A cornet 
band from Watertown accompanied the party, 
and added much to the enjoyment of the 
occasion. Among the visitors were a consid- 
erable number from the Southern States, and 
many of the editors were accompanied by 
their wives. The descriptions published in 
local papers throughout the State, made the 
incidents of the excursion well known among 
tlieir readers, and created with many a desire 
to view the scenery for themselves. From 
that time to the present, this interest has been 
increasing, but more especially since the be- 
ginning of summer encampments, partaking of 
a religious and of a social nature, of which a 
further notice is elsewhere given. 



Mr. Norris Winslow, of Watertown, was one 
of the few now living and in active life, v/ho 
participated in tliis excursion and contributed 
liberally for its ha])py comjjlction. 

Another Side is Given hv Monsieur Jules 
Le Clercq — (1876). 

This writer, a Frenchinan, had made an 
extended tour in the West, and was returning 
by way of the Lakes. We begin our extract 
at the moment of his departure from Toronto: 

" We found ourselves on board the Spartan, a 
very large crowd, thanks to a legion of pilgrims on 
their way to Wells Island, one of the Thousand 
Islands of the St. Lawrence, for the purpose of as- 
sisting at a great religious meeting, or revival, as 
they say in this country. The ■ revival ' is an 
effervescence of devotion, an outburst of fanaticism 
that generates itself at intervals, and suddenly comes 
on like a storm. There are spiritual fevers that 
generate and keep alive the strangest sects in 
America, and it is seldom that some new and extra- 
ordinary sect does not arise from a revival. * * 

" Before our pilgrims had landed at Wells Island, 
the revival spirit had alread)' appeared among them 
with some intensity, but this was nothing but the 
prelude. 

"Towards evening, as the setting sun was touch- 
ing the waves of Lake Ontario, they began their 
songs. To these succeeded exhortations, which 
might perhaps have made me a new convert, had 
they not been so entirely grotesque. A personage 
who seemed to act the part of a president invited 
any persons who might be moved from Heaven, to 
give the company their inspirations. A profound 
silence followed this solemn request, and every one 
was looking around, when some one more inspired 
than the rest, arose, and spoke in a solemn and pro- 
phetic tone, his countenance lit up as if under the 
influence of a Divine Spirit. This spectacle in- 
terested me very much, from its entire strangeness, 
but all of these inspired people, who seemed to 
think themselves holier than the rest of the world, 
gave me an impression quite repulsive. One or two 
of them, in their extravagance, implored the Supreme 
Being to enlighten the minds of every person aboard 
— first the passengers, one and all, and then from 
the captain down to the humblest deck-hand. Being 
unable to endure more of this, I left this saintly as- 
semblage, to retire at the further end of the steamer. 

" I know not what passed the next day at the re- 
vival on Wells Island; but if we may believe an 
English writer, worthy of credit, these revivals 
become the scenes of the gravest disorders. 

"As the night came on. the disorder became inde- 
scribable; for, including the revivalists, there were 



2l8 



A SOCn-ENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE E/VEE. 



not less than four hundred persons aboard, and 
there were only some fifty state-rooms, with two 
berths in each, all of which were occupied by the 
ladies. There were, therefore, three hundred per- 
sons without beds, and I found myself among these 
unfortunates, obliged to sleep on a plank, with a 
satchel for a pillow. At my age, happily, this does 
not matter, and although I would not like to renew 
the experience, I am not ashamed to know how it 
seems to sleep on a plank. On awaking in the 
morning, I found to my great astonishment that I 
had a severe headache, and on raising the plank, 
found that I had been sleeping just over the boiler. 

"They undertook to give breakfast to four hun- 
dred passengers — but the tables would accommo- 
date but a hundred guests. They got over this difli- 
culty by setting the table four times. In this setting 
and serving four tables in succession, it required 
from six to ten o'clock, and it was marvelous to see 
how every one rushed forward as soon as the gong 
sounded. It was a pitched siege, where the strongest 
had the best chances. Not caring to engage in such 
a skirmish, I patiently waited for the last edition, 
and by the time I had finished, those who had break- 
fasted first, were coming about for their dinners. 
Such are the little incidents of travels in America, 
and if my star ever guides me to that country again, 
I trust it will not be at the time of a revival. 

" After passing Kingston, the second largest city 
in the Province of Ontario, we entered the St. 
Lawrence, and for two hours were steaming through 
the midst of the Thousand Islands, concerning 
which Mr. Xavier Marmier and other travellers have 
expressed an admiration in which I cannot join. 

"I will, therefore, content myself with giving one 
of those descriptions found in the guide-books. I 
can only get up a sort of cold enthusiasm, for this is 
not my trade. I can understand how amateur hunt- 



ers and anglers can here find their delights ; but, 
though I am not altogether hostile to the mysteries 
of shooting and fishing, I cannot truly say that I 
found much to admire in this River Archipelago. 

" They tell me that the number of these islands 
amounts to eighteen hundred ; but if there were a 
hundred thousand, would they therefore be the 
more beautiful ? For m)' part, I would not exchange 
a single pearl in the enchanting group of the Borro- 
meo Islands, in Lake Maggiori, for the whole eigh- 
teen hundred islands of the St. Lawrence. At the 
risk of incurring the reproach of heresy, 1 will ven- 
ture to say, that the Thousand Isles have a reputa- 
tion altogether adorned. They have been honored 
by so many pompous and emphatic descriptions, 
that all tourists are obliged to believe them the won- 
der of wonders. Tourists have an unfortunate way 
of admiring all that Murr,ay, Joanne, and others, tell 
them they must admire, and they think they must 
not return from America without having seen them. 
If otherwise, the conversation would take some such 
form as this : 

" ' You have been in America?' 

— "'Yes.' 

— " ' And have seen the Thousand Islands ? ' 

— " ' I did not see them.' 

"At the end of the dialogue you would hear — 
' Simpleton ! don't you know they are cited in prose 
and verse? You might be pardoned for passing 
Niagara — that is superannuated — but the Thou- 
sand Islands ! What, then, did 3'ou go to America 
to see ? ' 

"To finish ofT: 'I know some part of Sweden, 
and upon that part of Lake Maclar, that extends 
from Stockholm to Upsal, is an archipelago infinitely 
more picturesque than that of the St. Lawrence ; yet 
the Swedes have not the tact to boast of their Thou- 
sand Islands like the Americans." 




A HOUSli-HOAT. 



POETIC ASSOCIATIONS OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



CANADIAN BOAT SONGS. 



I^^R\OST earl\' travellers speak of the songs 
l^^l witli which the Canadian voyageurs 
were accustomed to beguile their labors at the 
oar, and of the impressions they left upon 
the memory. These are now entirely unknown 
upon this part of the St. Lawrence, but are 
still heard upon the upper waters of the 
Ottawa, and in the regions not yet invaded 
by the power of steam. 

These souvenirs of travel belong to a period 
in society that appears to be passing away, 
and like the popular songs of all countries, 
that perpetuate their historical legends and 
the traditions of ancestors, they are unknown 
in cities, and are found only in rural life. In 
this instance, they may be often traced back 
to an European origin, and are of the kind 
that tend to keep alive the poetic associations 
of a gay and happy peasantry, rather than the 
historical memories of a great and powerful 
people. In fact there appear to be very 
little sense, much less a connection of narra- 
tive, in any of these popular songs of these 
people, and the most that can be said of many 
of them is, that they were a jolly string of 
words without rhyme or sense, with frequent 
repetitions, and a joyous refrain. 

In their incoherent stanzas and their repeti- 
tions, they resembled in some respects the slave- 
songs of the south before the late war, al- 
though wholly devoid of that religious senti- 
ment which formed a feature in many of the 
social songs of the slaves. 

Some years since, Mr. Ernst Gagnon, of Que- 
bec, prepared a collection of these Canadian 
songs. It contains only those most commonly 
known, for according to this author, " ten 



large volumes would scarcely contain them. 
He further remarks, that as a general thing 
there is nothing indelicate or wanton in these 
popular melodies, and that even in some of 
this description that can be traced back to 
French origin, the objectionable features have 
been dropped. In other cases, the change in 
these airs has been so great that their origin 
can scarcely be traced back beyond the period 
of emigration, and in others they are unmis- 
takably and entirely Canadian. 

We will limit our notice of these songs to 
two or three of the most popular and well- 
known, and of these the one first given is 
altogether the most important : 

" A La Claire Fontaine." 

Says Mr. Gagnon: — " From the little seven- 
year-old child to the gray-haired old man, 
every body in Canada knows this song. 
There is no French Canadian song that in 
this respect will compare with it, although 
the melody is very primitive, and it has little 
to interest the musician, beyond its great 
popularity." 

It is often sung to a dancing tune, and is 
even brought into the fantasies of a concert. 
It is known in France, and is said to be of 
Norman origin, although M. Marmier thinks 
it came from La Franclie Comte, and M. 
Rathery thinks it was brought from Bretagne, 
under the reign of Louis XIV. In France 
it has nearly the same words, but with this 
difference — that the French song e.\presses 
the sorrow of a young girl at the loss of her 
friend Pierre, while the Canadian lad wastes 
his regrets upon the rose that his mistress re- 



220 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



jected. The air as sung in France is altogether 
different. Some years since this song in its 
Canadian dress was brought out in all the 
principal theatres of Paris with immense suc- 
cess. This led to a distressing burlesque of 
" La Claire Fontaine, as they sing it in Paris." 

On.the occasion of the visit of the Prince of 
Wales to America in i860, a little incident oc- 
curred on board the "Hero,^' on the last 
evening before the landing at Quebec, that 
brought this song and its air into notice upon 
a much wider field than before. Several 
prominent Canadians had come on board, and 
as the evening wore away, Mr. Cartier, a high 
official in the Colonial government, stepped 
forward, and began to sing this song in a clear 
and melodious voice. 

The chorus was easily picked up by the 
listners, and after once hearing it, a few voices 
joined in — at first in subdued and gentle 
murmur, but at each return more clear and 
strong, until at the end, the whole party were 
in full accord, and singing with enthusiasm 
the oft-repeated declaration — 

" II )'a longtepas que je t'aime, 
Jamais je ne t' oublerai." 

From this time onward till the end of his 
journey in America, this simple melody became 
the favorite piece, or was brought in as an ac- 
companiment to other music, at receptions 
and parties, and in short, upon all occasions 
wherever music was in order, and for this 
reason it is now better known outside of 
Canada than all the rest of French-Canadian 
songs put together. 

The following not-very-literal English trans- 
lation of this chanson, has in one sense more 
poetic merit than the original, inasmuch as it has 
a rhyme, to which the French does not pretend. 

As by the crystal fount I strayed, 
On which the dancing moonbeams played, 
The water seemed so clear and bright, 
I bathed myself in its delight ; 

I loved thee from the hour we met, 
And never can that love forget. 

The water seemed so clear and bright, 
I bathed myself in its delight; 
The nightingale above my head. 
As sweet a stream of music shed, 
I loved thee, etc. 



The nigtitingale above my head, 
As sweet a stream of music shed, 
Sing, nightingale, thy heart is glad, 
But I could weep, for mine is sad ! 
I loved thee, etc. 

Sing, nightingale, thy heart is glad. 
But I could weep, for mine is sad ! ' 

For I have lost my lady fair. 
And she has left me to despair ! 
I loved thee, etc. 

For I have lost my lady fair. 
And she has left me to despair, 
For that I gave not, when she spoke, 
The rose that from its tree I broke. 
I loved thee, etc. 

For that I gave not, when she spoke, 
The rose that from its tree I broke, 
I wish the rose were on its tree. 
And my beloved again with me. 
I loved thee, etc. 

I wish the rose were on its tree. 
And my beloved again with me. 
Or that the tree itself were cast 
Into the sea, before this passed. 
I loved thee, etc 

Of the above chanson, Marmier observes-. 
"As you notice, there is neither verse nor 
rhyme, nor anything else besides an outland- 
ish measure of syllables ; * * * * Yet 
these rude couplets, sung in the rudest of 
melodies, have in them an indescribable mel- 
ancholy that penetrates the soul." 

An English writer who published his observ- 
ations in 1864, gives one of these songs, pre- 
faced with the following descriptive account 
of its execution: 

"The French Canadian boatmen seem to 
be a happy devil-may care sort of fellows, who 
did not allow the thought for to-morrow to 
interfere in any way with the enjoyment of 
to-day. They sing in concert very plaintively; 
and some of their favorite ballads are highly 
pathetic. One day I was prevailed upon by 
a friend to take an excursion in a canoe, 
manned by half a dozen of these thoughtless 
people. Upon sailing up the St. Lawrence, 
as they warrned to their work, they com- 
menced singing the following chanson, and so 
prettily was it executed, that the effect was 
most extraordinary: 



POETIC ASSOCIATIONS OF TIfE THOI'SAMI ISLANDS- 



The following rather tree tranalaiion lias 
been furnished us : 

With Means as wild 

As joj'ous cliild. 
Lived Rlioda of llie mountain ; 

Her only wisli 

To seek the fisli 
In tlie waters of tlie fountain. 

Oil, the violet, white and blue ! 

The stream is deep, 

The banks are steep, 
Down in the Hood fell she. 

When there rode by 

Right gallantly, 
Three barons of high degree. 

Oh, the violets, white and blue ! 

" Oh, tell us, fair maid," 

They each one said, 
" Your reward to the venturing knight 

Who shall save your life 

From the water's strife 
By his arm's unflinching might." 

Oh, ihe violet, white and blue i 

" Oh ! haste to my side," 

The maiden replied, 
" Nor ask of a recompense now ! 

When safe on land 

.-\gain we stand 
For such matters is time enow." 

Oh, the violet, white and blue ! 

But when all free 

Upon the lea 
She found herself once more, 

She would not stay, 

And sped away 
Till she reached her cottage door. 

Oh, the violets, white and blue I 

Her casement by. 

That maiden shy 
Began so sweet to sing; 

Her lute and voice. 

Did e'en rejoice, 
The early Hewers of spring. 

Oh. the violet, white and blue ! 

But the barons proud 

Then spoke aloud : 
" This is not the boon we desire ; 

Your heart and love, 

My pretty dove, 
Is the free gift we require." 

Oh, the violets, white and blue ! 



'• Oh. niy heart so true, 

Is not for you, 
Nor for any of higli degree ; 

I have pledged my truth 

To an honest youth. 
With a beard so comely to see." 

Oh, the violet, white and blue ! 

Tom Moore's iJo.vr Song. — (1804). 

In the years 1S03-4, the social favorite and 
graceful writer, Thomas Moore, made a hasty 
tour through the Middle and Northern States 
and Canada. It would appear from his writ- 
ings, and it has been strongly intimated, that 
this visit to America was designed to afford 
capital for satire and song in the interest of 
British prejudice, and under the political agi- 
tations of the day there can be no doubt but 
that this result was in some degree realized. 

liiut whatever may have been the animus or 
the effect of his writings, we may well afford, 
after this lapse of time, to forgive him, since 
he has left us some verses that throw a charm 
over the places he described, and impart an 
interest, due to the smoothness of their mea- 
sure and the poetic sentiments which they 
embody. His lyrics, entitled " The Lake of 
the Dismal Swamp," and "The Canadian 
Boat Song," are of this number. Moore was 
born in 1779, and when he passed this way, 
in 1804, was therefore about twenty-five years 
of age. He had already gained popular noto- 
riety by his writings ; and the extraordinary 
attentions paid to him, especially among En- 
glish officials in Canada and elsewhere, gave a 
prominence to his presence wherever he trav- 
elled. In a letter to his mother, written soon 
after his passage down the St. Lawrence from 
Niagara in a sailing vessel, in August, 1804, 
he shows how exceedingly flattering to his 
vanity these attentions were, making him at 
once satisfied with himself and with all the 
rest of mankind. He says : 

" In [iiy passage across Lake Ontario. I met with 
the saine politeness which has been so gratifying, 
and, indeed, convenient to me, all along my route. 
The captain refused to take what I know is always 
given, and begged me to consider all my friends as 
included in the compliment, which a line from me 
would at any time entitle them to. Even a poor 
watch-maker at Niagara, who did a very necessary 



234 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



and difficult job for me, insisicd I should not think 
of paying him, but accept it as the only mark of re- 
spect he could pay one he had heard so much of, 
but never expected to meet with. This is the very 
nectar of life, and I hope, I trust, it is not vanity to 
which the cordial owes all its sweetness. No; it 
gives me a feeling towards all mankind, which I am 
convinced is not unamiable; the impulse which be- 
gins with self, spreads a circle instantaneously round 
it, which includes all the sociabilities and benevo- 
lences of the heart." 

As to the circumstances under which the 
Boat Song was written, these can best be 
learned from his own pen. In a note appended 
to the full edition of his writings, we find the 
following account : 

"I wrote these words to an air which our boatmen 
sung to us frequently. The wind was so unfavor- 
able that they were obliged to row all the wa}', and 
we were five days in descending the river from King- 
ston to Montreal, exposed to an intense sun during 
the day, and at night forced to take shelter from the 
dews in any miserable huts upon the banks that 
would receive us. But the magnificent scenery of 
the St. Lawrence repays all these difficulties. Our 
voyageurs had good voices, and sang perfectly in 
tune together. The original words of the air, to 
which I adapted these stanzas, appeared to be a 
long, incoherent story, of which I could understand 
but little from the barbarous pronunciation of the 
Canadians. 

" The stanzas are supposed to be sung by those 
voyageurs who go to the Grand Portage by the 
Utawas river." 

Et Regimen Cantus Hortatur. — Ouintillian. 

Faintly, as tolls the evening chime, 
Our voices keep tune, and our oars keep time; 
Soon as the woods on shore look dim 
We'll sing at St. Ann's our parting hymn. 
Row, brothers, row, the stream runs fast. 
The rapids are near, and the daylight's past. 

Why should we yet our sail unfurl ? 
Tliere is not a breath the blue wave to curl ! 
But when the wind blosvs off the shore, 
Oh ! sweetly ive'll rest on our weary oar. 

Blow, breezes, blow, the stream runs fast. 

The rapids are near, and the daylight's past. 

Utawa's tide ! this trembling moon 

Shall see us float o%'er the surges soon. 

Saint of this green isle ! hear our prayer. 

Oil ! grant us cool heavens and favoring air. 
Blow, breezes, blow, the stream runs fast. 
The r;ipids are near, and the daylight's past. 



We have met with two translations of 
Moore's Boat Song into French, but neither 
of them are of inuch merit. 

Besides these Boat Songs, the islands pre- 
sent many poetic associations that give to 
them peculiar interest. The late Caleb Lyon, 
of Lyonsdale, many years since, published a 
poem somewhat after the style of Byron's 
'' Isles of Greece," that has been so often re- 
produced that we deem it proper not to in- 
clude it in this volume. 

The religious meetings that have been held 
upon Wellesley Island have given rise to some 
poetic reminiscences of peculiar interest, es- 
pecially those relating to Mr. Philip B. Bliss, 
whose participation in the Sunday-School Par- 
liament, in 1876, was brought sadly to mind 
by the railroad casualty that, before the next 
year, ended his life at Ashtabula, Ohio. This 
event has been made the subject of memorial 
verses by Miss Winslow, of Brooklyn. The 
following are the opening stanzas of this 
poem : 

Last year he stood atnongst us all. 

Acknowledged King of Song, 
Last year we heard his deep tones fall 

The river side along; 
We saw his reverend mien, we knew 

His spirit true and bold. 
But of our singer's inner life 

The half was never told. 

We heard the story, as it flew 

On the western wires along, 
With bated breath we heard it true, 

God took our King of Song ; 
We read of fiery chariot wheels. 

Of wintry waters cold. 
But angels saw the agony- 

The half was never told. 

The " Mille Iles " of Cremizie, the 
Canadian Poet.* 

This poem extends through more than fifty 
stanzas, in which the author lets his fancy 

* Joseph Octave Cremazie, a native of Lower 
Canada, was gifted with a fine poetic talent, and pro- 
duced several pieces that have been greatly admired 
for the elegance of their style, and the highly poetic 
sentiments which they express. 

M. Cremazie was a merchant at Quebec, but prov- 
ing unsuccessful in business, he went from Canada 



GEOLOGY OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



J25 



dwell upon what he would do, were he a swal- 
low. He would fly to where the snowflocks 
fall, and make the wildest places echo to his 
song. He would visit Spain, where the almond 
blooms; the gilded dome of Alcazar, and the 
Royal Palace where the Caliph Omar reigned; 
Cordova, and Old Castile; Leon, with its 
brazen gates, and Seville; the Escurial and 
the Alhambra, and river banks fragrant with 
opening flowers. He would view the city of 
Venice, and the Lions of St. Mark; listen to 
'the serenades of an Italian summer evening, 
and, in short, explore on light and rapid wing 
whatever region or place the wild world offers 
— in Europe, in India, or in the land of the 
Nile, that awakens poetic sentiments, displays 
pictures of beauty, or recalls the memory of 
great events. 

Having thus touched, as it were, a thousand 
islands of interest throughout the world, he 
says: 

"But when with Hoods of light, the balm}' spring- 
time comes, with its melodies, its mantle of green 
and its perfumes — its vernal songs with ihe morning 
sun, and all the freshness of awakening life, I would 
return to mj' native skies. 

■' When Eve plucked death from the Tree of Life, 
and brought tears and sorrow upon earth, Adam 
was driven out into the world to mourn with her, 
and taste from the bitter spring that we drink to- 
day. 

"Then angels on their wings, bore the silent 
eden to the eternal spheres on high, and placed it in 
the heavens — • but in passing through space, they 
dropped along the waj', to mark their course, some 
fiowers from the Garden Divine. These fiowers of 

to Brazil, and from thence to France, and died at 
Havre, January 17, 1879. 

Mr. Larcau.in his Histoirede la Litterature Cana- 
dienne, in speaking of the style of this poet, says : 

'•There is something in Cremazie's talent that is 
found only in those of native genius — it is inspira- 
tion. By sudden and passionate flights, he carries 
you into the highest spheres of poetry and thought. 
He adorns his style with coloring the most brilliant, 
and in his hand everything is transformed and ani- 
mated. He invests the most common of events with 
features that elevate and magnify, yet in this exuber- 
ance of coloring, and this wealth of words and ideas, 
he in no degree impairs the simplicity of his subject. 
The poetic thought of his writings is clear and re- 
fined, and his verse is natural, and flows from an 
abundant source." 



changing hues, falling i[Uo the great river, became 
the Thousand Isles — the paradise of the St. Law- 
rence. 

" The Thousand Isles ; magnilicent necklace of 
diamond and sapphire that those of the ancient 
world would have preferred to the bright gold of 
Ophir ! Sublime and beautiful crown that rests 
upon the ample brow of the St. Lawrence, on her 
throne of the vast lakes that display the tinted rain- 
bow, and return the echoes of thundering Niagara ! 
The Thousand Isles — charming wonder — oasis on 
the sleeping waves — that which might be thought a 
rlower-basket borne by a lover's hand ! In tliy pic- 
turesque retreats I find naught but peace and 
happiness, and spend the tranquil days in singing 
the lays of a heart content ! 

''Not proud Andalusia — nor the banks of Cadiz — 
nor the kingdom of the Moors sparkling like rubies 
— nor the poetic scenes of Florence and Milan — 
nor Rome with its ancient splendors — nor Naples 
with its volcano — nor that charmed sea where Stam- 
boul lifts its towers — nor the vales of sorrow where the 
fierce Giaours dwell — nor India in its n.ative wealth, 
where Para-Brahma shines, or the seas of verdure 
that Kalidasa celebrate — nor the land of the pyra- 
mids — nor all the treasures of Memphis — nor the 
rapids of the Nile, where we seek and admire Osiris — 
shall ever th)' echoes repeat from the notes of this 
lyre which is tuned amid these charming scenes." 

Geology of the Thousand Isla.xds. 

There is much geological interest in the 
rock formations of this part of the St. Law- 
rence, and in the evidences that they present 
as to the changes that the earth's surface has 
undergone since the beginning. For the most 
part, the islands consist of gneibs rock, be- 
longing to the Laurentian ,5eriod, which here 
form a connecting link between the vast Pri- 
mary Region, so called, of Upper Canada, 
and an e.xtensive district of the same in 
Northern New York. This gneiss is gener- 
ally obscurely stratified, but with much con- 
fusion in the lines of original deposit, as if 
they had been softened by lieat and distorted 
by pressure, and the stratification, such as it 
is, is often highly inclined. The rock is 
composed largely of a reddish feldspar, with 
variable proportions of quartz and horn- 
blende, and occasional particles of magnetic 
iron ore. In some places on the New York 
side it is found to contain dykes of trap and 
greenstone, that ramify into thin veins, as if 



226 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



injected under great pressure, and in a per- 
fectly liquid form. It also contains, in Jeffer- 
son and St. Lawrence counties, most interest- 
ing crystalline mineral forms, in great variety 
and in Rossie, lead was formerly mined in this 
rock to a large amount. 

Upon one of the Thousand Islands oppo- 
site Gananoque, the gneiss rock is quarried 
for cemetery monuments, which are sent to 
Montreal for polishing, and are thought by 
many to be as beautiful as the red Scotch 
granite for this use. The rock is there also 
quarried for paving blocks, and other uses. 

At Gananoque, and at various places among 
the islands, the Potsdam sandstone occurs in 
thick masses, rising into cliffs fifty feet or 
more above the river, and affording a fine 
material for building, being easily worked 
when freshly quarried, and hardening upon 
exposure to the air. A little back from that 
town, gneiss forms the principal rock, rising 
in naked ridges, with intervening plains that 
indicate the presence of level strata of lime- 
stone or sandstone beneath. In this region, 
white crystalline limestone, steatite and vari- 
ous other minerals occur. 

Before reaching Brockville, and for a long 
distance below, calciferous sandstone and the 
older limestones constitute the only rock in 
situ, and afford excellent quarries of building 
stone. These strata are for the most part 
level, and the very flat region in Jefferson 
county, lying a little back from the river, and 
extending several miles inland, is underlaid 
by this rock. It contains, in many places, 
the organic remains of lower forms of animal 
and vegetable life, that sometimes stand out 
in fine relief upon weathered surfaces of the 
rock. 

At Kingston, and at various points upon 
both shores, and upon Carlton, Wolfe, Howe, 
Grindstone and other islands, the Birds'-eye 
and Black River limestones occur in nearly 
horizontal strata, and in some places are seen 
resting directly upon the gneiss, which comes 
to the surface, here and there, and often rises 
to a greater elevation than the adjacent lime- 
stone. It would appear that at these places 
an island existed at the time when the sand- 



stones, elsewhere so abundant, were being de- 
posited, and that the limestones were formed 
directly over the gneiss. This limestone is 
largely used for building purposes, at Kings- 
ton and elsewhere, and it makes excellent 
lime. From the lower and impure strata of 
this rock, water-lime, or hydraulic cement, 
was formerly made in Jefferson county. 
These limestones at various places contain 
fossil corals, sponges, shells, and other or- 
ganic remains peculiar to the older Silurian 
period. The Black River limestone, in 
Watertown, Brownville, and other places, has 
extensive caves, worn by currents of water in 
tormer times. These have been explored to 
considerable distances, and appear to have 
been formed by the widening of natural 
fissures in the rock. Their section is more or 
less oval in form, sometimes wider than high, 
and nearly uniting along the line of the fissure, 
above and below. 

The broken region, of which the Thousand 
Islands are a part, affords on either side of 
the river, in various places, a number of pic- 
turesque lakes, and within a distance of 
twenty miles in Jefferson county, there are ex- 
tensive mines of red hematite, that have been 
wrought for more than fifty years, supplying 
several iron furnaces in their vicinity, and a 
large amount of ore for exportation to other 
points. Geologically, these iron ores occur in 
thick beds along the junction of the gneiss 
and the older fossiliferous formations, and 
they seem to extend downward to an unlim- 
ited extent. 

In speaking of the Thousand Islands as a 
field for geological study, a writer, who has 
taken a great interest in this subject, says : 

"One of the finest River Archipelagoes on the 
globe, is this of the St. Lawrence. Indeed, it is 
almost the only one that has such a vast number of 
islets, all of roclcy formation; high, healthy, wooded, 
without muddy or marsly shores; small enough for 
inexhaustible variety deep, navigable channels 
everywhere, and above all. the very crown and glory 
of the picturesque. * "'■ * The location is one of 
the very best for geological study. The Laurentian 
S)'stem is reckoned the oldest exposure, or arnong 
the oldest, on the globe. The granite is largely com- 
posed of feldspar, and so cliH'ers widely from the 







A HUGE rU.E OF GRAM 1 li. 



)1AI-\VI,NG SAILING SK1M-. 



GEOLOGY OF THE TIIOL'SAX D ISLANDS. 



229 



famous grnnitcs of New England, in wliicli horn- 
blende forms so large an element, and which are 
nearly a true syenite. The Potsdam sandstone here 
lies directly upon the granite. Both show wonder- 
fully the erosion of waves by which the great inland 
sea, 6f ancient geological ages, wore down this par- 
tial outlet to the sea. Both show, also, the grinding 
and planing action of tlie glacial drift, which here 
wrought with enormous power. There are drift 
striasor grooves here, cut into this hard granite, some 
of them showing for several rods in length, straight 
as a line, and as wide and deep as half a hogshead 
divided lengthwise of the staves. 

"A block of granite, as large as a small house, 
held fast in the under surf.ice of a moving sheet of 
ice, as a glazier's diamond in its steel handle; another 
sheet of ice, hundreds of feet thick and thousands of 
miles wide, and creeping onward with a slow but 
irresistible movement — what a glass-cutter that! 
And when that whole sheet of ice is thickly studded 
on its under side with such blocks, great and small, 
we can get a conception of what an enormous rasp 
the hand of Omnipotence wielded in planing and 
polishing all the upper surfaces, especially the 
northern, western, and nonh-western exposures of 
these mighty rocks. The tooth-marks of this rasp 
are the glacial striae of geologists, and this is an excel- 
lent place to study them. 

" For half a mile, fronting on Eel bay, there is an 
almost continuous frontage of the glacier-planed 
rocks. At its western end, this rocky ridge breaks 
down abruptly in lofty precipices called the ' Pali- 
sades,' with a deep, navigable strait of the river, 
called the ' Narrows.' Here is an admirable place to 
study the cleavage and fracture of these rocks, and 
the whole is one of the finest scenic views of the 
Great River." 

An anonymous writer, in a book of Travels 
" dedicated to the Wanderer by one of his 
class,"— but known to be John F. Campbell, 
of Islay, had his attention much attracted by 
geological phenomena, and in noticing glacial 
agencies, remarks as follows concerning this 
part of the St. Lawrence : 

"At the foot of Lake Ontario, at Brockville, a rock 
of gray quartz in the town is so finely polished that 
lines on it were invisible, and almost imperceptible, 
till a heel-ball rubbing brought them out. Their 
main direction is N. 45" East (magnetic), and large 
polished grooves, in which sand-lines occur, are ten 
feet wide. At other spots on the same rock, lines 
point north and have other bearings, but the whole 
shape of the country bears N. E. and S. W. 

" Beyond Brockville, the Thousand Islands of 
Lake Ontario closely resemble groups of low rocks 
off Gottenburgh. The solid rock foundation of 



t'anada, up to the level of Lake Ontario, is glaciated. 
It is striated in various directions, but the main lines 
observed aimed fiom Belleisle towards Niagara. 
Upon or near the rock arc beds of sand, shells, 
gravel, and clay, with large and well-scratched 
bowlders of foreign origin. Higher than these beds 
of drift are more beds of sand, shells, gravel, clay 
and bowlders as high up as the top of Montreal 
Mountain, and the top of Niagara Falls." 

In noticing these phenomena of glacial ac- 
tion, it may be remarked that the whole sur- 
face of the country north and south, and to a 
great distance, is found strewn here and there 
with bowlders, some of them of immense size, 
and in other places are moraines or ridges in 
great abundance. Drift-hills composed of 
sand, gravel and bowlders, sometimes ce- 
mented by clay into " hard-pan," are a com- 
mon occurrence. 

Lake Ridges. 

We may in this connection notice the " Lake 
Ridges," so-called, that occur on both sides of 
the lake, and various elevations above its 
present level. These particularly engaged 
the attention of Prof. Charles Lyell, the En- 
glish geologist, who, in his journey in 1842, 
stopped at Toronto to examine them as 
they occur northward from that city. 'I'he 
first of the ridges was a mile inland — and 
108 feet above the present level of -the lake. 
It arose from thirty to forty feet above the 
level land at its base, and could be traced by 
the eye running a long distance east and west, 
being marked by a narrow belt of fir-wood, 
while above and below, the soil was clayey, 
and bore other kinds of timber. 

The second ridge, a mile and a half further 
inland, was 208 feet above the lake at its 
base, as determined by canal and railroad 
surveys, and arose fifty to seventy feet high, 
the ground being flat both above and below, 
and at the foot lay a great number of bowlders, 
which, from their composition, showed tiiat 
they came from the north. .Some of these 
bowlders lay on the top of the ridge, but tliere 
were but few erratic rocks on the soil between 
these ridges. 

Another ride of two tniles and a half, in 
a northerly direction, brought him to a third 



230 



A SOUi'ENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



ridge, five miles from ihe lake — less conspicu- 
ous than either of the former, being little 
more than a steep slope of ten feet by which 
the higher terrace was reached, only eighty 
feet above the base of the second ridge. Thus 
he went on, passing one ridge after another, 
sometimes deviating several miles from the 
direct course, to fix the continuity of level, 
and observing their general character. He 
saw no less than eleven of these ridges in all, 
some of which might be called cliffs, or the 
abrupt terminations of terraces of clay, which 
cover the silurian rocks of that region to a 
great depth, and belonging to the drift or 
bowlder formation. 

The highest ridge was about 680 feet above 
the lake, the water-shed between Lakes Ontario 
and Simcoe being 762 feet. From the sum- 
mit the slope toward Lake Simcoe descends 
282 feet, and along down this, several ridges 
were found, showing that water had formerly 
flowed to a higher level than the present. 

Mr. Lyell remarks that he had never before 
observed so striking an example of banks, ter- 
races, and accumulations of stratified gravel, 
sand and clay, maintaining over wide areas so 
perfect a horizontality as in this district north 
of Toronto. He remarks that the hypothesis 
of the successive breaking down of barriers 
of an ancient lake or fresh-water ocean has 
now been generally abandoned, from the im- 
possibility of conceiving here, as in the west 
of Scotland, as to where lands capable of 
damming up the waters to such height could 
have been situated, or how, if they have ex- 
isted, they could have disappeared, while the 
levels of the ancient beaches remained undis- 
turbed. He, therefore, inclines to the belief 
that they were the margin of the ancient sea, 
which has changed level from the upheavals 
of the continent. This must have been inter- 
mittent; so that pauses occurred, during which 
the coast-line remained stationary for centu- 
ries, and in which the waves would have 
time to cut cliffs, or throw up beaches, or 
throw down littoral deposits and sand -banks 
near the shore. 

In support of this theory, he cites the ex- 
ample of Scandinavia, which has been slowly, 



yet perceptibly rising from the sea within the 
historic period, at the rate of two or three 
feet a century. We know too little of the 
laws that govern these subterranean move- 
ments, to deny the possibility of such inter- 
mittent changes in the level of the sea. 

While the cliff margins might have been the 
abrupt shore in an extremely ancient period, 
the bars of sand on the highest levels may 
have been formed on the inland margin of 
shallow waters, at some distance from deep 
waters, as may be seen in course of formation 
in some places at the present time. 

Depth of the St. Lawrence. — Tides in 
THE Lakes. 

The soundings in the river, among the 
islands, indicate a great irregularity of depth, 
the bottom being generally rocky, and quite 
as diversified as the parts that rise above the 
surface. The greatest depth is 120 feet, but 
the usual soundings are from thirty to sixty 
feet. As a general rule, the navigation among 
the islands is entirely safe to vessels of the 
size usually employed upon these waters, and 
all the dangerous rocks and reefs have their 
positions marked. 

The level of the river differs one year with 
another, the extreme range being about seven 
feet. These changes are not the immediate 
effects of the excessive rains, such as cause 
floods in other rivers, but appear to be occa- 
sioned by the different quantities of rain fall- 
ing, in some years more than in others, and 
which finds its way down months afterward. 
A series of several years of high water, and 
others of low water, are known to occur. 
The level of the river is also affected by 
strong prevailing winds, blowing up or down 
the lake, and several instances of rapid fall, 
followed by a returning wave of extraordinary 
height, have been reported. Some have sup- 
posed these sudden changes of level to be 
caused by earthquake- shocks, but a more 
probable theory appears to be that they are 
occasioned by the passage of a water-spout, 
or a tornado at a distant point. There is 
also found to be a slight, but well-marked tide 
in the lakes, depending upon lunar changes, 



BOUNDARIES OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



231 



like those upon the ocean, capable of the 
same prediction, and governed by the same 
laws. This fact has been proved by long- 
continued, self-recording observations. It 
may often be disguised by'oscillation in the 
level occasioned by the winds. It was ob- 
served by Charlevoix, in 172 r, that the level 
of the lake changed several times in a day, 
as may be seen anywhere along the shore, 
especially upon a gently-sloping beach. This 
is probably due chiefly to the action of the 
winds. 

Boundary Lines Between the Two 
Governments. 

In French colonial times, there was no 
boundary acknowledged by both governments, 
as existing between the French and English 
settlements. Each party claimed far beyond 
the point allowed by the other, and the en- 
croachments of the former upon Lake Cham- 
plain and in the west are well known to have 
led to the war that ended in 1760, in the 
establishment of English authority over the 
whole. 

The province of Quebec, as created by 
royal proclamation, was bounded on the 
south, from the Connecticut to the St. Law- 
rence rivers, by the line of 45° north latitude, 
and south-westward by a line running from 
the point where this line intersected the St. 
Lawrence to the south end of Lake Nipessing. 
A survey of the line of 45° was begun in 1772 
by John Collins, on the part of Quebec, and 
Thomas Vallentine, on the part of New York, 
but the latter having died, Claude Joseph 
Sauthier was appointed in his place, and the 
work was completed October 20, 1774. 

In the treaty of 17S3, the line of the river 
and lakes was adopted as the boundary west- 
ward from St. Regis, but no surveys of this 
part were undertaken until about thirty-five 
years afterwards. The military posts on the 
-\merican side of the boundary were held by 
the British for the purpose of protecting the 
claims of British subiects until definitely 
relinquished under the Jay treaty, signed No- 
vember ig, 1794, under which it was agreed 
that they should be given up on or before 



June I, 1796. In the meantime, the discus- 
sion as to boundaries continued, and Lieuten- 
ant-Governor J. G. Simcoe, of U])per Canada, 
was particularly strenuous in insisting upon 
an aggressive advance of the frontier, that 
should secure to British interests in the inte- 
rior the magnificent emjjire which the French 
had endeavored to establish. He would have 
had Niagara the seat of government of this 
English America, and had his first concessions 
been allowed, the western boundary of the 
United Stales would have been the Genesee 
river, and a line extending from its head- 
waters to the sources of the Ohio, and thence 
southward, along the AUeghenies to the Gulf 
coast. 

When this could not be secured, he pro- 
posed a line from Presque Isle [Erie, Pa.] to 
Pittsburgh ; then the Cuyahoga, and, as a last 
extremity, the Miami river. Early in 1792, in 
a long letter to the home government, he 
pointed out the great advantages that would 
result to Canada from the adoption of a line 
that should run from Lake Ontario across the 
country to the southern end of Lake Cham- 
plain, including the disputed boundaries upon 
that lake. Until the last moment, he had 
clung to the hope of attaching Vermont to 
Canada, and the correspondence of that 
period shows that an expectation of this 
result had been encouraged by the turbulent 
leaders in that State as an alternative pre- 
ferred to submission to the authority of either 
of the claiming States. He adds : 

"I should think Oswego, and I question whether 
Niagara would not be a cheap sacrifice for such a 
limit, which would be strictly defensive on our part, 
and calculated to prevent future disagreements. I 
have heard that Carlton Island, the most important 
post on Lake Ontario, is on the British side of the 
hne. as the better channel is between that and the 
southern shore." 

Again, in writing to the Rt. Hon. Henry 
Dundas, November 4, 1792, he says: "I beg 
to send a map of the river St. Lawrence, that 
in case of a treaty being entered into with the 
United States, it may plainly appear of what 
consequence it is to render it eTectual and 
permanent, that the British boundary should 
enclose the islands of the St. Lawrence." 



2^2 



A SOUl'EAIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RI lER. 



Under ihe treat)' of Ghent, which ended 
the war of 1812-15, Peter B. Porter was ap- 
pointed on the part of the United States, and 
Andrew Barclay on the part of Great Britain, 
as commissioners to run and mark the line. 
The survey was begun in 1817, and their re- 
port was signed June 18, 1822, subject to rati- 
fication by their respective governments. Their 
operations were conducted with much pre- 
cision, and the details were reduced to maps 
that have never been published. Copies of 
these are preserved in the offices of record of 
the countries concerned. 

While the boundary survey was in progress. 
Col. .Samuel Hawkins, the agent of the Ameri- 
can commission, gave a fete champetre upon 
one of the lower islands, to which the mem- 
bers of the commission on both sides were in- 
vited. The incident is described by Mr. 
Darby, who says: 

" The day was even on the St. Lawrence uncom- 
monly fine, and amid the groves of aspen, wild- 
cherry, and linden trees, the scene seemed more 
than earthly. Mrs. Hawkins presided, and in the 
bowers of the St. Lawrence recalled the most pol- 
ished manners of civilized society in the crowded 
city. At the close of evening Major Joseph Dela- 
field and myself walked over the island, and in 
full view of the objects which excited our feelings, 
concluded that no spot on the globe could unite in 
so small a space more to please, to amuse, and 
gratify the fancy." 

The earlier surveys between the St. Law- 
rence and Connecticut rivers being made with- 
out precision, were found in 1818 to be almost 
everywhere upon a line too far north. At 
St. Regis the departure from the true latitude 
of 45" was found to be 1,375 f^et; at the 
French Mills [Fort Covington] it was 154 
feet; at Chateauguy river, 975 feet, and at 
Rouse's Point, 4,576 feet. 

The government of the United States had 
begun to erect a fort on Lake Champlain, near 
what was the supposed boundary, soon after 
the war of 1812-15, and this was wholly car- 
ried over into Canada, by the survey of 1818. 
It had been christened " Fort Montgomery," 
but now in common parlance was called " Fort 
Blunder." The Americans being unable, and 
the Canadians unwilling to protect the prop- 



erty, it became the prey of whoever chose to 
plunder it of materials, as needed for build- 
ing purposes. Finally by the surveys of 
1S42, the old line of 1774 was taken as a com- 
promise, and the site being thus restored to 
the possession of the United States, work was 
resumed and carried; we believe, to comple- 
tion under the original name. 

In the surveys made under the Webster- 
Ashburton treaty of 1842, J. B. Bucknall Est- 
court, lieutenant-colonel, was appointed by 
the government of Great Britain, and Albert 
Smith by that of the United States. They 
confirmed the line in the river, as it had been 
located under the treaty of Ghent, and the 
old line marked by Vallentine and Collins be- 
tween the St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain. 
They were able to follow this line by the 
marks on the trees, still visible, or found by 
cutting into them; but where these could not 
be found, or where clearings had been made, 
straight lines were run between these old 
landmarks, and iron monuments were set at 
every angle of deflection, and at the crossing 
of rivers, lakes and roads. The boundary 
line is, therefore, not on the true parallel of 
45°, nor in the middle of the channel, 
but it is a conventional line, agreed upon by 
both governments, and accurately defined by 
monuments and records. 

The larger islands in the St. Lawrence, be- 
low Ogdensburg, had long been settled under 
St. Regis Indian titles, and were occupied at 
the time of the survey by settlers, who, up to 
that time, had been regarded as British sub- 
jects. 

Some forty years afterwards, the persons 
who had sustained losses by this transfer ap- 
plied to the State of New York for compensa- 
tion, and their claims became the subject of 
investigation and of legislative action for their 
relief. 

hydro(traphical and topographical 

Surveys. 

british surveys. 

The first surveys of Lakes Ontario and Erie 
were made in the summer of 1789, under the 
direction of Mr. Niff, an engineer. They 



LIGHT-HOUSES OF THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



233 



onl)' embraced the south shore of Lake On- 
tario, from Carleton Ishmd to Niagara, and 
the south shore of Lake Erie, from its eastern 
end to Detroit. 

The engineer's instructions required him, in 
addition to the soundings, to note the loca- 
tions proper for ship-building, the quality of 
land for settlement, and the kind of timber 
along the shores. It will be remembered that 
the whole of this region, now within the 
States, was then still held by the British mili- 
tary authorities, and it may be inferred from 
the above instructions that they were looking 
forward to a time wlieii it should be perma- 
nently under their control. 

Soon after the war of 181 2-15, a survey of 
the eastern end of Lake Ontario and of the 
river St. Lawrence, as far down as the Gallop 
Rapids, was made by Capt. W. F. W. Owen, 
of the Royal Navy, with soundings, a definite 
delineation of the shores and islands, and some 
topographical details concerning the adjacent 
parts. Thi. survey was completed in 1818, 
and published by the Hydrographical Office 
of the Admiralty in 1828, forming a series of 
five charts. These were re-engraved, with 
corrections, in 1861, and are found in the col- 
lections known as the " Bayfield Charts," 
which in all embrace an extensive series of 
lake surveys. 

An elaborate survey of the region around 
Kingston, including the adjacent islands, upon 
a large scale, and showing the contour of 
surface and details of topography, with special 
reference to its military defences, was pre- 
pared a few years since, and a limited edition 
printed. 

United States Lake Surveys. 

For many years, the survey of the northern 
and northwestern lakes has been in course of 
execution by the corps of engineers of the war 
department. These trigometrical and hydro- 
graphical surveys were begun upon Lake On- 
tario and the river St. Lawrence about ten 
years since, and during the years 187 1 to 
1875, were extended along the river from St. 
Regis to the lake, under the direction of 
Brig. -Gen. C. B. Comstock. In 1876, the re- 



sults were jjublished in six charts, which rep- 
resent the part of the river from St. Regis to 
the foot of Wolfe Island, upon a scale of i to 
30,000 or a little more than two miles to an 
inch. They embrace the whole of the river, 
and the topography of both shores, but do not 
indicate the boundary line. A map of the 
eastern end of Lake Ontario, being No. i of a 
separate series, on a scale of i to 80,000, or 
about four-fifths of an incli to a mile, has also 
been published under the same direction. 
These charts all have a great number of sound- 
ings, with indications of the nature of the bot- 
tom, the contour and cultivation of the land 
on the islands and adjacent shores, the place 
of buildings, the lines of roads, and of streets 
in villages, and the character and extent of 
woodlands, with an accuracy of detail that 
proves the excellence of the work. 

Light-Houses. 

A few facts concerning the light-houses 
along the St. Lawrence, may not be without . 
interest : 

The American Light-Houses are under 
the care of a "light-house board," in the 
Treasury Department, and the coasts and rivers 
of the country are divided into fifteen districts. 
Of these, the tenth district extends from St. 
Regis to Detroit, with the headquarters of 
the inspector and engineer at Buffalo. Within 
this district, there are sixty-seven light-houses, 
and about 150 buoys (spars and cans), an- 
chored so as to show the course of the chan- 
nel, or the position of dangerous places. 
These spars, etc., are taken up at the close of 
navigation, and replaced after the ice has dis- 
appeared in the spring. By their color and 
numbers, they give information that all navi- 
gators must understand. There are six 
American lights from Ogdensburg to Tibbett's 
Point, inclusive. They have all fixed white 
lights, with lens apparatus of tlie fourth or 
sixth order. Their names and position are 
as follows: 

Ogdensburgh, on a rocky islet, 190 yards 
from south shore; built in 1834; refitted in 
1870; a square tower, 42 feet high, with 
keeper's dwelling. 



234 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



Cross-over Island, 20 miles above Ogdens- 
burg; a tower 37 feet high, on keeper's brick 
dwelling; lantern black; built in 1837; refitted 
in 1870. 

Sister Island, 6i- miles further up; a tower 
on keeper's stone dwelling; lantern black, with 
red dome; built in 1870; height, 43 feet. 

Sunken Rock, 6 miles further up, on Bush 
Island, about a quarter of a mile north of 
Alexandria Bay; an octagonal brick tower, 
sheathed with boards; white; height, 31 feet; 
built in 1847; refitted in 1855. 

Rock Island, 7 miles further up; keeper's 
dwelling of brick, white, with a low tower on 
top; dome black; height, 39 feet; built in 1847; 
refitted in 1855. [Sliown hereafter.] 

Tibbett's Point, 23 miles above, at the out- 
let of the lake; a stone building connected by 
covered way with a round brick tower 67 feet 
high; white; built in 1827; refitted in 1854. 

The oldest light-house on the lake is that 
near Fort Niagara, built in 1813; the next 
oldest is the one on Gallo Island, built in 
1820. All the lights on the St. Lawrence and 
the Great Lakes are discontinued from 
January ist until the opening of navigation, 
unless otherwise specially directed. 

The Dominion Light-House System is 
under the charge of the Minister of Marine 
and Fisheries, and at the beginning of 1880 
embraced 482 lights, of which Labrador had 
4; Newfoundland 3; Gulf and River of St. 
Lawrence 140 to Montreal — 19 from thence 
to Windmill Point near Prescott, and 10 from 
thence to the lake; Saguenay River 6; Richlieu 
River 5; Lake Memphramagog 6; Ottawa 
River 16; Lake Ontario 29; Lake Simcoe i; 
Lake Erie 15; Detroit River 2; Lake St. Clair 
I ; Lake Huron 32; Lake Superior 9; Prince 
Edward Island 29; Cape Breton 'Island 23; 
Nova Scotia (Atlantic Coast) 63; Bay of 
Fundy 48; St. John's River 13; Winnipeg i, 
and British Columbia 7. 

The Canadian lights from Prescott to Lake 
Ontario are as follows : 

Cole Shoal, on a pier five miles west of 
Brockville. 

Grenadier Island (S. W. point), two miles 
below Rockport. 



Lindoe Island, five miles west of Rockport. 

Gananoque Narrows, five miles below Gana- 
noque, on Little Stave Island. 

Jack Straw Shoal, on a pier, north side of 
channel, three miles below Gananoque. 

Spectacle Shoal, on a pier, north side, one 
and a quarter miles west of Gananoque. 

Red Horse Rock, on pier, S. E. side of 
channel, one mile above Spectacle Shoals. 

Burnt Island, at S. E. point of island, north 
side of channel, half mile from Red Horse 
Rock. 

Wolfe Island, on Quebec, or east point of 
island — and Brown's or Knapp's Point, on 
Wolfe Island. 

These are all fixed single lights, with metal- 
lic reflectors, on white square wooden towers, 
and were all built in 1856, except Wolfe 
Island Light in 1861, and that on Brown's 
Point in 1874 

Steam Navigation upon Lake Ontario 
AND THE St. Lawrence. 

I'he first steamboat that appeared upon 
this lake was the Oneida, in 181 7. The boat 
was 1 10 feet long, twenty-four wide, and 
eight deep, and measured 237 tons, and had 
a low-pressure cross-head engine, and a 
thirty-four-inch cylinder with four-feet stroke. 
She had two masts, and used sails when the 
wind favored. It was indeed a new era in 
navigation, and from this time Durham boats, 
bateaux, and all the pleasant associations 
which boat songs recall were doomed to dis- 
appear. The new steamboat was indeed a 
wonder in this part of the world, and at every 
landing crowds assembled from far and wide, 
to catch a view of the first wreath of smoke 
from her stack, and to watch and wonder 
as she slowly and majestically came up, and as 
she independently departed on her appointed 
course. Eveiy village that could muster a 
cannon, and every steeple that had a bell, an- 
nounced the event, and joined in the welcome. 
Bonfires and illuminations, the congratulations 
of friends and interchange of hospitalities, 
signalized the event along the whole of the 
route, and the occasion was jotted down as 
one to be long remembered. The round trip 



NAVIGATION AND LUMBERING. 



237 



from Ogdensburgh to Lewiston required ten 
days. Fare, $16 in the cabin, and $8 on 
deck. Master, Captain Mallaby. Tiie One- 
ida ran till 1832, seldom making more than 
five miles an hour. The Frontenac came out 
from Kingston not long after. From this time 
down, the number has been legion; but since 
the completion of the Grand Trunk Railway, 
the importance of steam navigation has greatly 
declined, and several fine steamers were taken 
down the rapids never to return.* 

But whatever the future may determine, as 
regards the lines of business travel, the St. 
Lawrence will always, in its islands and 
its rapids, present an attractive route for tour- 
ists in the summer season. We may never 
again witness a fleet of steamers as magnifi- 
cent as those of the " Ontario and St. Law- 
rence Steamboat Co.,'' which in its best days 
had eleven such in daily us, — while the Cana- 
dians at the same time had numerous elegant 
steamers fully employed; but under the law 
universally true in business, that the supply 
will be regulated by the demand, we may 
confidently look for abundant comfort and 
elegance in these steamers upon the St. Law- 
rence. The history of steam navigation 
scarcely presents a more remarkable freedom 
from accidents than does that upon this lake 
and river — a circumstance due as well to the 
intelligence of those entrusted with their navi- 
gation, as to the sagacity of owners, who saw 
their true interest to consist in the certainty 
of their engagements, rather than in a reputa- 
tion for extraordinary achievements in amount 
of business, or high rate of speed. 

The fine boats of the Folger Brothers, as 

* A large amount of information concerning steam- 
boats upon the lalce will be found in Hough's History 
of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties (1853), and 
in Haddock's History of Jefferson County (1895). 

For many years Clayton was a noted place for 
steamboat building. Some of the finest steamers 
that ever appeared on these waters came from the 
shipyard of Mr. John Oades, of that place. Of 
these the New York and the Bay State, — truly mag- 
nificent in their appointments, were afterwards em- 
ployed on government service in the South. Other 
lake steamers were used during our late war as 
blockade runners on the Southern coast. 



well as of the Richelieu and Ontario Naviga- 
tion Company, have certainly reduced pre- 
cision to perfection, and accidents to a mini- 
mimi. 

Life-saving stations were first established 
by the Government of the United States upon 
Lake Ontario, in the summer of 1854, con- 
sisting originally of Francis's Metallic Life- 
Boats, with fixtures, but without buildings 
to shelter, or crews to manage them. The 
system has since been perfected as the wants 
of the service required. 

The present lines through the Thousand 
Islands are quite numerous, by far the larger 
part being owned and run by the Folger Bros., 
of Kingston. Their boats are in every way 
superior, and really leave nothing to be desired. 

Lumbering upon the Rivek St. Law- 
rence. 

In several of the descriptions given in the 
preceding pages, allusion is made to wood- 
land scenes and woodmen's labor. One of 
the earliest and inost extensive operators in 
this line was William Wells, eldest son of 
Thos. Wells, from Sandown, N. H., who came 
to Canada in 1787, and began lumbering 
operations about 1790, on the island to which 
his name is now often applied. He would 
establish a shanty at a convenient point, and 
with the aid of hired men, work up into staves 
all the timber suitable to his use within con- 
venient reach, and when this was exhausted 
he would remove to another place. He thus 
went over the whole of this island and other 
islands in the river, until the business became 
no longer profitable. His market was Eng- 
land, by way of Quebec, to which place his 
stock was sent upon rafts. At a later period, 
Carlton Island for a short time became an 
important lumber station, and later still, Clay- 
ton, where for many years immense quantities 
of timber, brought down from the upper lakes 
in vessels, were made up into rafts in French 
Creek, and sent down to Quebec. It was 
there again loaded into vessels, for the Euro- 
pean markets. In recent years, the foot of 
Wolfe Island, and Garden Island, opposite to 
Kingston, have been the principal lumbering 



!38 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAW'REAXE RIVER. 



stations on the river. The business has for a 
long time depended upon supplies brought 
down from distant points in the West, and is 
now greatly reduced from the exhaustion of 
supplies. 

Autumnal Scenery of the Northern 
States and of Canada. 

We nave noticed in the descriptions of sev- 
eral travellers in the preceding pages an 
allusion to the coloring of the forests of 
this region towards the close of autumn, 
forming, indeed, one of the attractions 
most likely to fix itself in the memory in 
the declining season of the year. This was 
most fully given by the German traveller, Dr. 
Kohl, whose account of the islands will be 
found on preceding pages. We will com- 
mence the description with his arrival at 
Kingston, late on a warm, bright, richly-col- 
ored autumnal afternoon, when the setting sun 
presented a most imposing appearance. There 
was still enough of daylight left to get a fine 
view of the city and its suburbs, and he de- 
parted by steamer for Toronto the same eve- 
ning. He describes the passage as one of 
exquisite beauty, the last glow of twilight 
shedding a glory over the apparently bound- 
less water, which seemed, like the sea, without 
limit. As it grew dark, the waters presented 
the novel spectacle of moving lights near the 
shore, where the fishermen were following 
their business by torchlight ; and, later in the 
night, the heavens were lit up by the aurora 
borealis with unusual splendor. 

It may almost be questioned as to whether, 
amid these shifting scenes of novelty, our 
worthy traveller got time for a moment's re- 
pose, for his description of the midnight 
aurora, with its gleaming pencils of light, its 
corona, and its dazzling arch, passes directly 
into the picture of a morning on the lake, that 
follows : 

" But its splendors were far exceeded in beauty by 
the tender tints of the aurora orientals that after- 
wards showed themselves on (he eastern horizon, and 
then filled the whole atmosphere with their light. A 
delicate mist had risen toward sunrise, and the sun 
had made use of this gauzy veil to paint it with the 
loveliest pale tints. I do not wonder that the taste 



for coloring should develop itself in such a land of 
mist, where the palette of nature is provided with 
such a variety of finely graduated hues. The e)'e is 
sharpened to their diflferences, while in tropical re- 
gions, where the chief colors appear most strikingly, 
the senses are dazzled. As the sun rose, I remarked 
to my surprise that the redness of the morning dawn 
had not passed from the horizon, as it commonly 
does, but remained hanging as a very decided red 
segment of a circle, and the higher the sun rose, the 
further it stretched, till towards eleven o'clock it oc- 
cupied one-half of the horizon, while the opposite 
side, which was of a light grayish tint, lost ground 
more and more, and .it length the sun appeared as a 
radiant focus in the center of an atmosphere of 
light, which, with few variations, passed into red all 
round the horizon. I saw this remarkable phenom- 
enon here for the first time, but afterwards fre- 
quently, and learned that it especially belonged lo 
the ' Indian Summer,' and was known under the 
name of ' the pink mist.' " 

A short time after, our traveller, in passing 
northward from Toronto, on the route to 
Lake Simcoe, had occasion to again revert to 
the glories of the autumnal forest, which he 
had already noticed in passing amid the Thou- 
sand Islands. His description has no local 
application, but will faithfully represent the 
impressions of an intelligent observer in the 
deciduous forests of any part of the Northern 
States, and of Canada, in the fading season 
of the year: 

"The trees here still gloried in the rich coloring 
of their leafage, although in Quebec, a fortnight be- 
fore, the vegetation had assumed a bare and wintry 
aspect. The elegant and much-prized maple was 
conspicuous among them, as it mostly is in Canada, 
and its leaves exhibited more shades and gradations 
of golden-yellow and crimson than can be found in 
the best furnished color-box. Even when you walk 
on dark cloudy days in the forest, the trees shed 
around you such gorgeous colors that j'ou might im- 
agine it was bright sunlight. You seem to be walk- 
ing in the midst of some magic sunset of the 
declining year. The leaves of the maple are, too, 
as elegantly cut as they are richly adorned with 
color, and the Canadians pay them the same homage 
as the Irish do their green immortal shamrock. 
They are collected, pressed and preserved; ladies 
select the most beautiful to form natural garlands 
for their ball-dresses. You see in Canada tables 
and other furniture inlaid with bouquets and wreaths 
of varnished maple leaves, and you see an elegant 
steamer with the name Maple Leaf painted in large 
letters on the side. Sometimes the Canadians would 



THE IlEAUriES OE AUTUMN. 



239 



ask me, in their glorious woods, whetlier I had ever 
seen anything like them in Europe; and if I an- 
swered that, though their woods were especially 
beautiful, I had elsewhere observed red and yellow 
autumn leaves, they would smile and shake their 
heads, as if they meant to say that a stranger could 
never appreciate the beauties of a Canadian forest 
thus dying in golden flame. I have seen a Swiss, 
born and bred among the Alps, smile just as pity- 
ingly at the enthusiasm of strangers for their moun- 
tains, evidently regarding it as a mere momentary 
flare, and that they only could know how to value 
the charms of a land of mountains. 

" The magnificent coloring of these trees strikes 
you most, I think, when the gilding has only just 
begun, and the green, yellow and scarlet tints are 
mingled with the most delicate transitions. Some- 
times it seems as if Nature were amusing herself 
with these graceful playthings, for you see green 
trees twisted about with garlands of rich red leaves, 
like wreaths of roses, and then again red trees, where 
the wreatlis are green. I followed with delight, too, 
the series of changes, from the most brilliant crim- 
son to the darkest claret color, then to a rich brown, 
which passed into the cold pale grey of the winter. 
It seems to me evident that the sun of this climate 
has some quite peculiar power in its beams, and that 
the faintest tint of the autumn foliage has a pure in- 
tensity of color that you do not see in Europe. 
Possibly you see the climate and character of Can- 
ada mirrored in these autumn leaves, and it is the 
rapid and violent transitions of heat and cold that 
produce these vivid contrasts. 

"The frost that sometimes sets in suddenly after 
a very hot day, is said to be one of the chief painters 
of these American woods. When he does but touch 
the trees they immediately blush rosy red. I was 
warned, therefore, not to regard what I saw this year 
as the ne plus ultra of his artistic efforts, since the 
frost had come this time very gradually. The sum- 
mer heat had lasted unusually long, and the drouth 
had been extraordinary, so that the leaves had be- 
come gradually dry and withered, instead of being 
suddenly struck by the frost while their sap was 
still abundant, a necessary condition, it appears, for 
this brilliant coloring." 

As if quite unable to tear himself from a 
subject that had so thoroughly awakened his 
attention, our keenly observant traveller, after 
describing many other scenes of Indian and 
Pioneer life, presented in his northern jour- 
ney, again recurs to his favorite impressions. 
He had been so often interrupted by imperti- 
nent inquiries, as to who he was, where he 
was going, on what business, where he in- 



tended to buy land, and where he meant to 
settle, that he had devised a ready means of 
getting rid of these annoyances — for when 
he saw one of these inquisitors approaching, 
he at once began a short biographical recita- 
tion, stating where born, his origin, what he 
had come for and what not, and so forth, end- 
ing with the declaration that he did not in- 
tend to settle in the country, nor to buy land. 
As soon as everybody knew who and what he 
was, they cared little more about him, and 
having thus cheaply purchased a truce from 
further in([uiry, he could settle down to the 
calm enjoyment of the scenery before him. 
He says : 

" I would gladly give some idea of its beauty, but 
it is often difficult to convey impressions of this 
kind, without falling into repetitions, which, though 
often far from unwelcome in nature, where there are 
always shades of difference, are very apt to be so in 
books. To me, there was a never-ending enjoyment 
in gazing on the coloring of a Canadian forest in its 
autumnal glor)', and observing the modifications of 
their colors produced by a greater or less distance. 
From the immediate foreground to the remotest 
point there was a scale of a hundred degrees. The 
trees near at hand were of a full rose or orange hue, 
and every leaf a piece of glittering gold, and yet 
every tree had something that distinguished it from 
all the rest, and although there were only leaves, the 
colors equaled those of a tropical forest in spring, 
when it is covered with blossoms. Farther on, the 
colors were melted together into one general tint of 
bright pink, then a little blue mingled with it, and 
there arose several softest tones of lilac : sometimes 
according to the conditions of the atmosphere, the 
distant woods appeared of a deep indigo, and then, 
perhaps, would interpose a little island of glowing 
red-gold upon an azure ground, but if your eye fol- 
lowed the line of forest to the east, the colors as 
well as the trees shiank together, and a great wood 
of leafy oak, elm and maple would look like a low 
patch of reddish heath." 

The poet Whittier, in describing an autum- 
nal scene, strikingly applicable to this region, 
although intended for another, says : 

Beneath the westward-turning eye 
A thousand wooded islands lie — 
Gems of the waters I — with each hue 
Of brightness set in ocean's blue. 
Each bears aloft its tuft of trees 

Touched by the pencil of the frost. 
And, with the motion of each breeze. 



240 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LA IV RE MCE RIVER. 



A moment seen — a moment lost — 
Changing and blent, confused and tossed, 
The brighter with the darlier crossed. 
Their thousand tints of beauty glow 



Down in the restless waves below, 
And tremble in the sunny skies, 
As if from waving bough to bough 
Flitted the birds of paradise. 



THE ST. LAWRENCE REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATION. 



This is the name of an association lately 
organized at Alexandria Bay, duly incorpor- 
ated under the Laws of the State of New 
York. 

The following are the officers for 1895 ; 

President, 

William C. Browning. 

Vice-President, 

E. R. HOLDEN. 

Secretary and Treasurer, 

Edward W. Dewey. 

Dii-ectors, 

William C. Browning. Charles I. Hudson. 

Charles G. Emery. James C. Spencer. 

Edward W. Dewey. George C. Boldt. 

E. R. Holden. James H. Oliphant. 

George M. Pullman. 

Executive Committee, 
William C. Browning 
E. R. Holden. 
EiiwAUD W. Dewey. 

The objects for which this Association was 
formed are as follows : 

First. To purchase and to hold and occupy, 
and to buy and sell and mortgage, or to lease, 
lands and real estate on the shore or on the 
islands of the St. Lawrence river, and to that 
portion of said river known as " The Thousand 
Islands." 

Second. To lay out, improve and beautify 
said lands and real estate by the erection and 
construction thereon, or upon portions thereof, 
a chib-house or casino, and cottages and other 
buildings, and piers and wharves, terraces and 



pleasure grounds, for the use and occupation 
of this association or other persons, or of clubs 
or societies organized for the promotion and 
cultivation of social enjoyment and recreation 
as summer residents of the St. Lawrence river, 
among said Thousand Islands, to whom this 
association may sell or lease said lands or real 
estate. 

Third. Especial reference is hereby made 
to "The Thousand Island Club," an incor- 
porated association under the Laws of the 
State of New York, of which the undersigned 
are members, to whom the said lands and real 
estate purchased and improved, or portions 
thereof, may be leased or sold by this 
association. 

The amount of the capital stock of this 
association shall be twenty thousand dollars 
($20,000), divided into two hundred (200) 
shares, of the par value of one hundred dol- 
lars (i|ioo) each, all of which shall be com- 
mon stock. 

The location of its principal office or place 
of business is in the village of Alexandria Bay, 
where the stockholders, directors and officers 
of this association may meet and transact their 
business, as may be provided and stated in the 
by-laws of this association, or ordered by the 
directors from time to time. 

The duration of this Association shall be 
fifty years. 

The number of the directors of The St. 
Lavvrence River Real Estate Association shall 
be nine, each of whom shall be a stockholder, 
having at least five shares of stock. 



THE THOUSAND ISLASD CLUB. 243 



MEMBERSHIP OF THE THOUSAND ISLAND CLUB. 

Active Members. 

Name. Residence. Property owned. 

Richard A. Anthony New York Point Marguerite, Alexandria Hay, N. Y. 

George C. Boldt New York Waldorf Hotel. 

Wni. C. Browning New York Hopewell Hall, Ale.xandria i!ay, N. Y. 

Henry S. Chandler Brooklyn Florence Island, " 

Michael Chauncey Brooklyn Cuba Island, " 

.\lson E. Clark Chicago Comfort Island, " 

Royal E. Deane New York Island Royal, " 

Edward W. Dewey New York Dewey Isle. " 

Charles Donohue New York St. John Island, " 

Charles Donohue, Jr New York St. John Island, " 

Francis Donohue New York St. John Island, '* 

Richard H. Eggleston New York Idlewild, " 

Charles G. Emory New York Calumet Island, Clayton, N. Y. 

Charles W. Hachett Utica St. Lawrence Park. 

John L. Hasbrouck New York Manhattan Island, Alexandria Bay, N. Y. 

Charles H. Hayden Columbus, O Hayden Island, " 

William B. Hayden New York Hayden Island, " 

Henry R. Heath Brooklyn Nobby Island, " 

C. E. Hill Chicago Wanwinet. " 

E. R. Holden New York Thousand Island Park. 

Charles I. Hudson ... New York The Ledges, Alexandria Bay, N. Y. 

Nathaniel W. Hunt Brooklyn St. Elmo Island, " 

James W. Jackson Plainfield, N. J , . . . Kewayden, " 

Fred'k L. King New York Hotel Westminster, " 

Egbert LeFevre New York .... ... Manhattan Island, " 

Mortimer G. Lewis New York Hotel Westminster, " 

D. C. McEwen Brooklyn Wildwood, " 

C. A. Meyers New York The Frontenac, Round Island. 

James H. Oliphant Brooklyn Nemah-Bin, Alexandria Bay, N. Y. 

S. T. Pope Ogdensburg Welcome Island, " 

Geo. M. Pullman Chicago Castle Rest, " 

Gilbert S. Rafferty Pittsburg Isle Imperial, ' " 

James C Spencer New York Manhattan Island, " 

Frank H. Taylor Philadelphia Shady Ledge, Round Island. 

W. J. Townsend ... New York Sunny Side, Alexandria Bay, N. Y. 

Royal C. Vilas New York Resort Island, " 

E. P. Wilbur South Bethlehem. . . Sport Island, " 

Rollins H. Wilbur South Bethlehem. . . Sport Island, " 

W. A. Wilbur South Bethlehem. . . Sport Island, " 

Associ.\TE Members. 

H. W. Berlin New York Hotel Westminster, Alexandria Bay, N. Y. 

Louis Hasbrouck Ogdensburg Huguenot Island, " 



244 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



ISLAND DIRECTORY. 



The following is a late revised list of islands and 
points, with their owners' names, from Clayton to 
Goose Bay, on the American side: 

Cement Point, head of Grindstone Island, owned 
by W. F. Ford and others. 

Goose Island, two acres, owned by E. S. Brooks, 
Brooklyn. 

Hen Island, one-half acre, owned by W. F. Mor- 
gan, New York. 

Davitts' Island, one-quarter acre, owned by H. G. 
Davitts, New York. 

Carroll Island, two acres, owned by James A. 
Cheney, Syracuse. 

Boscobel Island, one-half acre, owned by G. S. 
Hopkins. Kansas. 

Bluff Island, twenty acres, owned by E. B. Wash- 
burn, New York. 

Clinton Island, No. i, fifteen acres, owned by 
N. S. Seely, New York. 

Clinton Island, No. 2, three acres owned by N. S. 
Seely, New York. 

Governor's Island, owned by Charles G. Einery, 
New York. 
V Calumet, owned by Charles G. Emory, New York. 

Etheridge, head of Round Island, owned by Dr. 
Geo. D. Whalen, Syracuse. 

Shady Ledge, near foot o'f Round Island, owned 
by Frank R. Taylor, Philadelphia, Pa. 

Brooklyn Heights, foot of Round Island, owned 
by C. S. Johnson, Brooklyn. 

Long Rock, one acre, owned by W. F. Wilson, 
Watertown. 

Hemlock Island, twenty acres, owned by W. F. 
Porter and W. F. Wilson, Watertown. 

Stewart, or JefFers Island, ten acres, owned by 
E. P. Gardinerand twelve others, Syracuse, and other 
places. 

Two in Eel Bay, two acres, owned by Dr. E. L. 
Sargent, Watertown. 

Twin Islands, one acre, owned by I. L. Hunting- 
ton, Theresa. 

Watch Island, one acre, owned by S. F. Skinner, 
New York. 

Occident and Orient, three acres, owned by E. N. 
Robinson, New York. 

Isle of Pines, two acres, owned by Mrs. E. N. 
Robinson, New York. 

Frederick Island, two acres, owned by C. L. 
Frederick, Carthage. 

Bay Side, one acre, owned by H. F. Mosher, 
Watertown. 

Riverside, mainland, one acre, owned by J. C. 
Lee, Gouverneur. 



Killain Point, mainland, one acre, owned by Mr. 
Killian, Lockport. N. Y. 

HoUoway Point, mainland, one acre, owned by 
N. HoUoway, Omar, N. Y. 

Fisher's Landing, mainland, two acres, owned by 
Mrs. R. Gunn, Omar, N. Y. 

Island Home, one acre, owned by Mrs. S. D. 
Hungerford, Adams. N. Y. 

Harmony, one-quarter acre, owned by Mrs. Bur- 
ger, Syracuse. 

Waving Branches, on Wells' Island, owned by D. 
C. Graham and nine others. 

Bonnie Eyrie, on Wells' Island, owned by Mrs. 
Peck, Boonville, N. Y. 

Throop's Dock, on Wells' Island, owned by Drs. 
C. E. and D. S. J. Latimer, N. Y. 

Jolly O.iks, on Wells' Island, twenty acres, owned 
by John L. Norton and others from Carthage. 

Blanch Island, ten acres, owned by Mrs. A. M. 
Kenyon, Watertown. 

Josephine, twenty acres, owned by Mrs. A. M. 
Kenyon, Watertown. 

Craig-Side, Wells" Island, owned by H. A. Laugh- 
lin, Pittsburg, Pa. 

Covert Point, Wells' Island, owned by B. J. May- 
cock, BufTalo. 

Calumet Island, one half acre, owned by Oliver 
H. Green, Boston. 

Van Patten, one acre, owned by Gen. J. B. Van- 
Patten, Claverack, N. Y. 

Point Vivian, mainland, ten acres, owned by R. 
Toyer and ten others. 

Lindress. one acre, owned by John Lindress, 
Jersey City. 

Cedar Island, one acre, owned by J. M. Curtis, 
Cleveland, O. 

Wild Rose, one acre, owned by Hon. W. G. Rose, 
Cleveland, O. 

.Mleghany Point, mainland, one acre, owned by 
J. S. Laney, Pa. 

Plato, two acres, owned by H. R. Heath, Brooklyn. 

Seven Isles, five acres, owned b\' Gen. Bradley 
Winslow, Watertown. 

Louisiana Point, Wells' Island, three acres, owned 
by Hon. D. C. Labatt, New Orleans. 

On this point the Lambie Brothers have erected 
(1894) a fine cottage. 

Bella Vista Lodge, mainland, three acres, Wm. 
Chisholni, Cleveland, O. 

Neh Mahbin Island, two acres, owned by James 
H. Oliphant, Brooklyn. 

Comfort Island, two acres, owned by. A. E. Clark, 
Chicago. 



ISLAND DIRECTORY. 



245 



Warner's Island, one acre, owned b)' Mrs. II. H. 
Warner, Rochester. 

Wanwinet Island, one-half acre, owned by C, E. 
Hill. Chicago. 

Kewaydin, owned by J.W.Jackson, Plainlield, N.J. 

Cuba, one acre, owned by M. Chauncey, Brooklyn. 

Devil's Oven, one acre, owned by H. R. Healh, 
Brooklyn. 

Sunnyside, Cherry Island, five acres, Rev. George 
Rockwell, Tarrytown. 

Melrose Lodge, Cherry Island, owned by A. B. 
Pullman estate, Chicago. 

Ingleside, Cherry Island, owned by Mrs. G. B. 
Marsh, Chicago. 

Stuyvesant Lodge, Cherry Island, owned by J. T. 
Easton, Brooklyn. 

Safe Point, Wells' Island, four acres. Rev. R. II. 
Pullman, Baltimore. 

Pullman Island, three acres, owned by Geo. M. 
Pullman, Chicago. 

Nobby Island, three acres, owned by II. R. Heath, 
Brooklyn. 

Little Angel, one-quarter acre, owned by W. A. 
Angell, Chicago. 

Edgewood Park, thirt)' acres, owned by S. W. 
Sessions, Cleveland, O. 

Edgewood Point, one acre, owned by G. C. Mar- 
tin, Watertown. 

West View, one acre, owned by S. G. Pope, 
Ogdensburg. 

Welcome, one acre, owned by S. G. Pope, 
Ogdensburg. 

Friendly Island, three acres, owned by E. W. 
Dewey, New York. 

Linlithgow, one-half acre, owned by Mrs. R. A, 
Livingston, New York. 

Florence, two acres, owned by H. S. Chandler, 
New York. 

St. Elmo, three acres, owned by N. W. Hunt, 
Brooklyn. 

Felesneck, owned by Prof. A. G. Hopkins, Clin- 
ton, N. Y. 

Point Lookout, one acre, owned by Miss S. J. 
Bullock, Adams. 

Vilula Point, one-half acre, owned by Capt. F. 
Dana. 

Isle Imperial, one acre, owned by G. T. RafTerty, 
Pittsburg. 

Fern Island, one acre, owned by J. Winslow, 
Watertown. 

Hart's Island, five acres, owned by E. K. Hart's 
estate, Albion, N. Y. 

Deshler, fifteen acres, owned by W. G. Deshler, 
Columbus O. 

Netts, one acre, owned by Wm. B. Hayden, 
Columbus, O. 

Bonny Castle, fifteen acres, owned by Mrs. J. G. 
Holland, New York. 



Crescent Cottage, ten acres, owned by H. Van 
Wagoner, New York. 

Point Marguerite, thirty acres, owned by Mrs. E. 
Anthony, New York. 

The Ledges, owned by Mrs. C. J. Hudson, New 
York. 

Long Branch, ten acres, owned by Mrs. C. E. 
Clark, Watertown. 

Manhattan Island, five acres, owned by Hon. J. C. 
Spencer, New York. 

Maple Island, si,x acres, owned by John L. Has- 
brouck. New York. 

St. John Island, six acres, owned by Hon. Charles 
O. Donohue, New York. 

Fairyland Island, twenty acres, owned by Charles 
and William B. Hayden, Columbus, O. 

Little Fraud Island, one-half acre, owned by R. 
H. Pease, New York. 

Huguenot Island, two acres, owned by L. Has- 
brouck, Ogdensburg. 

Resort Island, three acres, owned by W. J. Lewis, 
Pittsburg. 

Deer Island, twenty acres, owned by Geo. D. 
Miller, New York. 

Island Mary, two acres, owned by Mrs. L. Palmer. 
Carthage, Dakota. 

Walton Island, seven acres, owned N.J. Robin- 
son, New York. 

Idlewild, four acres, owned by Mrs. R. H. Eggles- 
ton. New York. 

Sport Island, four acres, owned by E. P. Wilbur, 
Mauch Chunk, Pa. 

Little Lehigh, one acre, owned by R. H. Wilbur, 
Bethlehem, Pa. 

Summerside, two acres, owned by W. Stevenson, 
Sayre, Pa. 

Summerland, ten acres, owned by Summerland 
Association, Rochester. 

Arcadia and Ina Islands, five acres, owned bv S. 
A. Briggs, New York. 

Spuyten Duyvel, one acre, owned by Alice P. Sar- 
gent, New York. 

Douglass, five acres, owned by Douglas Miller, 
New York. 

Kit Grafton, one-half acre, owned by Mrs. S. L. 
George, Watertown. 

Lookout, two acres, owned by Thos. H. Bordin. 
New York. 

Ella, one-half acre, owned by R. E. Hungerford, 
Watertown. 

Little Charm, one-quarter acre, owned by Mrs. F. 
W. Barker, Alexandria B.ay. 

Frost, two acres, owned by Mrs. S. L. Frost, 
Watertown. 

Excelsior Group, five acres, owned by C. S. Good- 
win, New York. 

Sylvan and Moss Islands, three acres, owned by 
S. T. Woolworth, Watertown. 



246 



A SOm'EN/R OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



ElcplmiU Rock, onc-quarler acre, owned by T. V . To Philadelphia 447 miles 

Chiuenden, Walerlown. To Saratoga 239 " 

Sunbeam (iroiip, one acre, owned by II. F. Phelan, To Chicago 812 " 

Walertown. To Niagara Falls 298 " 

Alice, two acres, owned by Col. A. J. Casse, New To Toronto, 185 " 

York. To Syracuse .... 122 " 

Schooner, six acres, owned by J. N. Whitehoiisc, To Utica 119 " 

New York . To Rochester ,,. 213 " 



List <)(■ P<»<t-(>lli<'cs iiiiioii^' (he Tlioiisaiid 
Islitnds, duriiij;' the Season. 

Thurso-Grindslone Island. 

Cl.ayton. 

Round Island (summer only). 

Grinnell's (summer only). 

Thousand Island Park. 

Fisher's Landing. 

St. Lawrence Park (summer only). 

Point Vivian (summer only). 

Westminster Park (suminer only). 

Alexandria Bay. 

Grand View Park (summer only). 



T; 

To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 
To 



iilth- «>r Distanees IVoiii AIe\aii<l 
liay. 

Montreal 14S m 

Ogdensburg 36 ' 

Morristown 24 

Brockville 24 ' 

Chippewa Bay 12 ' 

Point Vivian 2 ' 

St. Lawience Park 3 ' 

Fine View 6 ' 

T. I. Park 7 ' 

Fishers' Landing 7 ' 

Pullman House 7i ' 

Grand View Park 12 ' 

Round Island 10 ' 

Clayton 12 ' 

Prospect Park 12 ' 

Riverview 20 ' 

Carleton Island 23 ' 

Cape Vincent 28 ' 

Gananoque .... ig ' 

Kingston 34 ' 

New York 356 ' 

Boston 339 ' 



la 

iles 



,\ Few "Dont's" for Exour.sioiiists. 

Don't be in too great a hurry, you will get along 
easier. 

Don't rush to get on board the steamer until the 
passengers are olT, and then you can get on board 
without rushing. 

Don't push, and jam, and crowd, either in going 
ashore or aboard; you only hinder and delay. 

Don't stop to gossip on the gang-plank, it blocks 
the passage and delays others. 

Don't act as though you thought that other people 
had no rights which you were bound to respect. 

Don't act as though you belong to the genus Sus, 
lest people believe it. 

Don't crowd to the forward part of the boat; the 
after part passes the same objects of interest. 

Don't stand up, so that those back of you can see 
nothing — it is e.\tremely ill mannered. 

Don't try to gather in all the easy chairs just for 
your party — -it looks selfish. 

Don't be continually grumbling, you annoy others 
and do yourself no good. 

Don't be too critical about the running of the boat; 
in all probability, those who have charge of it are as 
well informed in regard to their business as you are. 

Don't berate an employe because of some fault 
you think the company has committed — it is incon- 
sistent. 

Don't fail to treat others with that consideration 
with which you would like to have them treat you, 
and then all will go well. 

You have often heard it said that such a one 
" could be a gentleman, if he chose; " you may rest 
assured that if any one can be a gentleman (or lady) 
he or she is pretty certain to be one; so when on an 
excursion don't be anything else, lest people think- 
ing tliat you can be but will not, attribute your 
action to pure and unadulterated " cussedness," 
and treat you accordingly. 



t>4wt 



j^ 



EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OF ALEXANDRIA BAY. 

BY WILLIAM FAYEL, ESQ., OF ST. LOUIS, MO. 



/S^LEXANDRIA BAY, when I first knew it, 
r\ just before the existence of railroads in 
the United States, was a place of small import- 
ance. It was a depot for the back-country 
merchants and new settlers who sent lumber, 
staves and potash, principally for shipment to 
the Quebec market, and returned with dry 
goods, salt, etc , for the village stores. Except 
river transportation, the place was side-tracked 
on the landward side by the most abominable 
roads, almost impassable in the spring and 
fall, so that for years butter and cheese and 
other country produce were under the control 
of contractors, forwarded to VVatertown and 
Sackets Harbor, it is true, over better roads, 
but a much longer route. Owing to its iso- 
lated situation, the Bay, which within a few 
years has attained a magical growth and be- 
come the central attraction of the most popu- 
lar summer resort in America, was, at the 
time mentioned, unfrequented by the tide of 
pleasure seekers, except perhaps a few local 
fishermen. The mode of transportation was 
then by stage-coach and canal. The world 
of fashion resorted to Saratoga Springs, the 
Catskill Mountain House, Niagara Falls, and 
some favorite sea-side resorts now seldom 
heard of. The most famous resorts and water- 
ing places were brought into journalistic noto- 
riety by letter writers, some wielding graceful 
pens, as N. P. Willis in the New York Mirror, 
and Willis Gaylord Clark, the " Ollapod " of 
the Knickerbocker Magazine. Some of these 
descriptions were extensively copied, and 
showed the advantages, as one mode of judi- 
cious advertising, in turning the tide of travel 
and posting the public on the charms and 
striking beauties of the places described. 
I first saw Alexandria Bay in 1832, the 



cholera of that year having struck Quebec, 
the earliest outbreak of the dread pestilence 
on the continent, and then following up the 
St. Lawrence, it visited Kingston and the 
large cities, leaving the Bay entirely untouched. 
The village contained about a dozen frame 
dwellings and shops, scattered promiscuously 
among the granite knolls and level grounds, 
wherever a favorable site offered. The only 
store, a red frame structure, owned by John W. 
Fuller, was at the steamboat landing on the 
lower point jutting into the Bay. The only 
tavern, a weather-worn frame structure, at tf.e 
end of the main street, leading to the right on 
entering the village, was kept by Smith. The 
front was marked by a flight of wooden stairs 
that led to the bar-room. This important 
feature, like all country bar-rooms, had the 
upper portion of the bar shielded from out- 
side intrusion by a grating of round wooden 
rods, through which could be seen a row of 
flint-glass decanters, surmounted by heavy 
stoppers of the same material. The upper 
shelf had round glass jars, containing sticks of 
ribbon-colored candy and Jackson balls. 

The edibles consisted of small crackers (two 
for a cent), then in universal use, and 
"cookies," a second cousin of the popular 
ginger-cake. A box of dried herrings was 
also temptingly displayed to satiate the pangs 
of appetite, especially when irrigated by 
draughts of strong liquor. On wooden pegs 
in the proper place were hung yellow slippers 
for the retiring guests at bed-time. Tavern 
customs and the empire of fashion have very 
materially changed since those pristine days. 
The open tavern shed, with a loft for hay and 
oats over head, was located on the Bay at 
the extreme end of the street. Between the 



250 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



tavern and tlie store on the water front, was a 
large wooden warehouse in which the goods, 
shipped to country merchants were stored 
until called for. In the open spaces near the 
warehouse immense piles of staves and lumber 
were corded up, awaiting shipment, and con- 
stituted quite a feature in the river commerce 
of the place. 

In my early recollections of the scenery I 
recall with curious interest the intensely sea- 
green color of the waters of the Bay, and the 
beautiful displays of graphic granite sometimes 
seen in the rounded granite knobs. 

The arrival of a steamer at the wharf in 
rear of Fuller's store was always an event 
that enlivened the drowsy quietude of the 
village. A few passengers would usually step 
on shore to ease their sea-legs, but the most 
important personage was the faultlessly-dressed 
clerk of the steamer who stood on the wharf, 
with a lot of invoices in his hand noting down 
or checking the discharge and shipment of 
freight. To the boyish fancy he was an envied 
individual, a stupendous official character, 
through whose deft fingers all business transac- 
tions between the shore and steamer had to be 
transmitted before the boat could leave the 
wharf. Sometimes a glimpse was obtained of 
singular people and outre characters, emi- 
grants from foreign lands, making their way 
towards the illimitable West. At a period 
somewhat later I saw twenty or thirty young 
French Canadians land from an up-bound 
steamer. They were a lusty looking set of 
youths in robust health, hardy visage, well 
developed, athletes in strength and physical 
symmetry of form. They were dressed in fine 
new suits, rather flashy, and wore their boot- 
legs outside up to the knees, bound on top 
with red morocco, with fluttering tassels dang- 
ling therefrom. These adventurous young men 
had left their homes at Chambly, St. Johns 
and Montreal, and were bound for Green Bay, 
thence to the fur-trading town of St. Louis, 
Some thirty years afterwards, while accompany- 
ing the Indian Peace Commissioner among 
the Sioux of the Upper Missouri, I en- 
countered an Indian interpreter, who, as near 
as time and place could be indentified, was 



one of the party seen at Alexandria Bay at the 
period mentioned. This man, like all the 
French Canadian traders and interpreters, had 
an Indian wife and a numerous progeny. Our 
interpreter abandoned his Indian wife and 
married a respectable white girl at North 
Platte — General Sherman and the other com- 
missioners being invited to attend the wedding. 
The relatives of the old squaw came to kill the 
interpreter's horses in revenge for his deser- 
tion of the once attractive and dusky maiden 
of his youthful days. 

Alexandria Bay was slow in coming to the 
front as a fishing resort, owing to the adverse 
causes mentioned. In this respect, for several 
years, Theresa, in the same township, rather 
took the lead. The stream at that then remote 
village abounded in the spring with mullet, 
and throughout tlie season that king of the 
piscatory tribe, the muscalonge, came up the 
Indian River, to the falls at Theresa, and was 
taken with the spear or trolling spoon. The 
Sixberries had long beaten up the ground, and 
the Indian River with its tributary lakes, be- 
came the paradise of the hunter, trapper and 
fisherman. Theresa, as the headquarters for 
the outfit of boats and fishing tackle, came 
into note, and was made popular by the an- 
nual excursions down the river from that 
point, of Mr. Norris M. Woodruff, of Water- 
town, and his friends, who brought with them 
Loren Soper, an old fisherman acquainted 
with the ground, and then the keeper of the 
United States Arsenal at Watertown. There 
was a fascination amid the scene and haunts 
of nature, in the wild scenery and freedom 
from the public gaze in a jaunt of this kind, 
that a large river, open to all the world, did 
not possess. No man enjoys reading his 
newspaper in the thronged thoroughfares. 

In spite of these little rivalries of neighbor- 
ing fishing resorts, Alexandria Bay, in no 
spirit of jealousy, abided its time. The fame 
of its waters in yielding abundance of pickerel 
and muscalonge to the sportive fishermen, be- 
came extended far and wide. Of the last 
named fish it was reported that a big one, the 
real sockdoger, had been captured by an ama- 
teur sportsman from Syracuse, and that in his 



EARLY RfXOLl.F.CT/ONS OF ALEXANDRIA BAY. 



251 



vain glory he liad a full-length picture of him- 
self taken by an artist, with the big fish, held 
up by the gills, painted by his side. 

In due time the Bay became the resort of 
some famous men, and it is but repeating a 
twice-told tale to state that among these noted 
characters were Silas Wright and Martin Van 
Buren. Of these two distinguished men, I 
may, in passing, be permitted to mention a 
phase of their personal traits. Old fishermen 
tell of the generosity of Silas Wright, in 
quietly slipping into their hands, on returning 
from a trip, a liberal " tip," while Mr. Van 
Buren, less thoughtful, to put it mildly, never 
exceeded the exact sum stipulated in the con- 
tract by dispensing the expected doucer to liis 
boatmen. 

It is probable that political friendship, as 
well as the genial hospitality of the host, 
rather than the fish, drew these great men to 
the Bay. The Waltons stood high in social 
distinction throughout that section. I am 
speaking from boyhood impressions. They 
were the first in a small town, and in the 
neighboring villages were regarded as su- 
perior beings. Their arrival at Theresa on a 
transient visit produced a sensation, among 
the younger people especially. The head of 
this family, Mr. Azariah Walton, I regarded 
as a grand old man, by whom I was always 
treated witli kindness and courtesy. At his 
store, I frequently saw his massive figure 
seated behind the counter employed in 
thumping some refractory substance into use 
for trolling spoons. 

The shelves in the rear were garnished with 
lines, hooks, bright brass spoons and other 
fishing tackle. In one corner was seen a for- 
est of fishing poles, some of these being sus- 
pended by wooden supports overhead, like 
the old-time rifle on hooks, in the hunter's 
cabin. In the winter section, skates were 
suspended, showing that a demand for these 
articles could be supplied at all seasons. 

Mr. Walton was collector of customs for 
the port. He never disparaged the duties of 
the office, and spoke with pride of his success 
in checking and finally putting an end .to 
smuggling, that formerly prevailed to the 



detriment of the goverment. He once told me 
that the revenue collected from customs in 
the Cape Vincent district, to which he was 
attached, exceeded in amount that collected 
in any other port of the United States, as the 
official figures would verify. He was withal a 
warm political partisan, the leading Democrat 
in that section, and though his mercantile 
partner, John W. Fuller, was a pronounced 
Whig, no disputes on that score seeming to 
disturb their business relations. But to his 
outside political opponents he was not spar- 
ing in his jibes and sarcastic hits at their ex- 
pense. With what unction would the words 
" Whig " and " Whiggery " roll from his 
tongue, in contemptuous tones and in utter 
depreciation of the claims of that young and 
growing party. 

In those anti-Masonic and early Whig days, 
the election was held on three successive days 
in separate precincts. Theresa was then at- 
tached to the town of Alexandria, and when 
the election was held in that precinct, 
Mr. Walton always came up in full force, a 
dreaded opponent, in his withering gibes, to 
the leading Whigs, Squire Nathan M. Flower, 
Anson Ranney and Benjamin Still. The di- 
vision of the town at length gave these good 
men a rest. Amid his multifarous business 
and official duties, Squire Walton found leis- 
ure to court the poetical muse. He com- 
posed campaign songs, which were never 
written out or read ; one of these he recited 
to me, the burden of which extolled in the 
popular rhymes of that day, " The Favorite 
Son of Kinderhook." 

In closing this imperfect sketch of a notable 
man, I desire to add, that although a violent 
partisan, he was a patriotic lover of his coun- 
try. When the Mexican war broke out, he 
everywhere, in and out of season, denounced 
the opposition to President Polk and the war, 
declaring that it was unpatriotic in private 
individuals and bar-room ranters, to question 
the right or wrong of the war, when the honor 
of the country was at stake. 

His eldest son, George Walton, followed in 
the footsteps of his father, as a politician, and 
as his active life, too early cut off by the fell 



252 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



destroyer, comes within the period under 
consideration, a word may be added. Much 
might be said in praise of this gentleman wlio 
bore " the mould of beauty and of form," but 
one incident only will be given, illustrative of 
the times, in his connection with " general train- 
ing day," that great event of mustering battal- 
ions and parody on grim war, always looked 
forward to by wondering youths and ginger- 
bread-vendors as a gala day, now gone into 
desuetude, and is only a memory of the past. 
George Walton was the colonel of a militia 
regiment ; and his brother-in-law, General 
Archibald Fisher, commander of the brigade, 
transferred the general muster, from Antwerp, 
where it assembled from time immemorial, to 
Theresa. Col. Walton, as the ranking officer, 
superintended the customary evolutions, and 
towards evening he headed the perspiring 
troops in their march from the Cooper farm, 
where the muster was held, to the village. 
The militia companies were halted, and on be- 
ing massed in regulation order for dismissal, 
the gallant colonel in a grandiose speech, not 
unmixed with a quiet undercurrent of humor, 
wished the men a safe return to their homes, 
their waiting wives and children, and capped 
the climax of dismissal by designating the 
brigade as " soldiers of the great American 
Army." 

As if to add to the ludicrous character of 
the scene, an auctioneer from the Quaker 
settlement, named Kirkbright, who had been 
vending gingerbread during the day, brought 
forward for sale a menagerie of wild and tame 
sugar animals. Having disposed of the ele- 
phants at a fair valuation, he then held up 
between his thumb and finger a two-cent 
rooster, with red comb and gills, about the 
size of a small ball of yarn. The bids started 
at one cent, with no raise for some time, 
when the auctioneer shouted forth indignantly, 
" Soldiers of the American Army ! How can 
you stand idly by, with arms in your hands, 
and see property thus sacrificed in the market 
place ? " 

Recurring to matters at the Bay, I once, on 
a visit there, met with an enjoyable incident, 
characteristic of the chronic characters that 



one frequently meets with. I was attracted 
by two gentlemen in front of the hotel, who 
appeared hotly engaged in a religious discus- 
sion, — the one a skeptic ; the other, whom I 
took to be a religious enthusiast by the warmth 
with which he supported his side of the argu- 
ment. Gifted in speech, he overwhelmed his 
antagonist with a torrent of excellent advice, 
as well as sound argument. 

The reverend gentleman proved to be the 
Rev. P. C. Headley, the author of a popular 
" Life of the Empress Josephine." He was 
then quite a young-looking man. He in- 
formed me that he was settled in the ministry 
at Adams, Jefferson county, and was on the 
way to join his brother, Rev. J. T. Headley, 
also a widely-known author on war heroes, for 
a trip through the great Northern woods, 
then, as may be remembered, un vexed by 
the Rev. Adirondack Murray and his fellow 
tourists. Mr. Headley turned out to be a 
most genial companion, full of animal spirits, 
and ready to indulge in boat excursions and 
other pastimes, except playing billiards, then 
a favorite amusement among the frequenters 
of the place. 

A boat party was made up to sail among 
the islands, with Mr. Ed. Tanner, collector of 
the port, in charge. We trolled up the 
streams, and encountering a squall, landed on 
a nameless island. While there, a large sail 
boat, it might be called a yacht, also landed 
on the island, driven in by stress of weather. 
An elderly, sturdy-looking man came on shore 
and looked anxiously around. The new- 
comer proved to be the famous Bill Johnston, 
whose name became linked with the Thousand 
Islands. 

He wore a blouse, a plain-looking old gentle- 
man, with strong features and an expression of 
determination about the mouth. Otherwise he 
would be taken for a very ordinary farmer, in 
general appearance. He was rather reticent 
and conversed in a low tone of voice, as is 
usual in men supposed to have some great 
secrets locked up in the breast. He was a 
man just to Mr. Headley's hand, who pumped 
the old gentleman as to the history of the 
islands and his connection with them durins; 



EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OF ALEXAX DRLl BA\\ 



255 



the late troubles. Johnston, meantime, had a 
far-away look, his mind reverting to his boat 
and the condition of the weather. After the 
detention of a couple of hours we parted, on a 
lull in the gale. 

Before the extension of telegraph lines, and 
with limited postal connections inland, the 
people of the Bay were behind their neighbors 
in getting the news. But this was not always 
the case, very important news reaching there 
by river in advanceof the neighboring villages. 
An instance may be given. About the 12th 
of July, 1850, going with a party to the Bay, 
when arrived within three miles of the place, 
we met old Ezra Cornwall, father of George 
W. Cornwall of Theresa, coming up the road 
on foot, who imparted the intelligence that 
General Taylor, President of the United States, 
was dead. The news was received at the Bay 
by steamer from Oswego, and was unknown at 
Theresa until obtained from this source. 

My last visit to Alexandria Bay was in 1867, 
when, after the absence of some years, great 
changes in the aspect of the town were visible. 
Two hotels, the renowned Crossmon House, 
widely known, and the St. Lawrence Hotel, 
kept by Edward Fay el, assisted by his sister, 
Mrs. Sophia Spalsbury, were in operation. 
Since then a greater change, amounting to a 
perfect " transformation scene," has super- 
vened, supplementing the wonders of natural 
beauty with the improvements suggested by 
unsparing wealth, art and taste. But despite 
all these enchanting improvements, effected by 
man, the great natural features of rocky islands 
and glorious river will stand unaltered till the 
end of time. 

Jonathan Thompson. 

Among the earliest to forsee and urge the 
advantages of the Thousand Islands as a re- 
sort for pleasure seekers, and the estab- 
lishment of a hotel to entertain them, was 
doubtless Jonathan Thompson, of Theresa. 
Thompson was a genial character, quaint in 
speech, or rather of cute sayings, a harmless 
romancer with a brain fertile in projects. He 
was a man past middle age, buoyant in hope as 
a grown-up boy, had seen something of the 



world, and, in fact, among his early expe- 
riences, had " gone out " with the Green 
Mountain Boys in September, 1814. In 
working up his scheme he had visited the 
islands, selected one of the group to erect a 
fishermen's resort upon. But the lime had not 
come for the realization of such an enterprise. 
Other more favorable and fortuitous circum- 
stances had to arise before the scheme could 
become practicable. Thompson would have 
made a good second to a man of financial 
ability; a good chief of a restaurant, and a 
capital entertainer of guests. 

A few years before this time, Thompson 
had pitched upon one of the most romantic 
little lakes, situated between the Indian and 
St. Lawrence rivers, much nearer the first 
named stream, as a home, which he intended 
to improve. It was an expanse of clear, 
limpid water, nestled among wood-crowned 
shores, six miles from any settlement. It had 
lost its Indian name, the lake being on the 
main water route followed by the Canadian 
Indians during the French and Indian War, 
and up to the War of the Revolution, in their 
predatory incursions to the Dutch settlements 
on the Mohawk. In recent times the hulks 
of their abandoned boats could be seen lying 
deep through the clear water on the lake 
bottom. It was known as Lake of the Woods, 
latterly as Thompson's Lake, from the new pro- 
prietor, and was three miles in length north 
and south, and from one mile and a half to 
half a mile in breadth. 

In a spirit of enterprise and unbounded 
hopes that inspired visionary schemes, 
Thompson pre-empted a few acres, near the 
western cove, which a squatter had cleared up 
and abandoned, leaving his deserted log cabin 
among the assets of the place. On obtaining 
possession, his original design was to stock the 
ranch with geese, as his flocks would have 
the unlimited privilege, like himself, of the 
lake. But, owing to a change in domestic 
economy (except among the blanket Indians, 
who still adhered to skins for bed clothing), 
feather beds began to be discarded, and a de- 
mand for feathers consequently ceased. He, 
therefore, was compelled " to feather his 



2S6 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



nest " in some other more profitable product. 
Whereupon, like Thoreau, the hermit of Wal- 
don Pond, he determined to cultivated a bean 
patch, finally adding to his agricultural opera- 
tions crops of potatoes, cabbage and cucum- 
bers. On an adjoining little islet, that rose 
like a wart above the bosom of the lake, the 
only excrescence of the kind that fretted the 
ripples into complaining murmurs, he erected 
a house of primitive accommodation. In its 
construction, he was ably assisted by a 
Watertovvn journalist (John Fayel), who, 
seeking recuperation for broken health, found 
pleasant recreation in the exercise of his con- 
structive talents upon very scant materials. 
Poles were ferried across from the opposite 
beach, and the deserted log-cabin of the 
squatter was dismantled of its boards, shin- 
gles, nails and window sash, to supply the 
needed material. That house was a "daisy," 
and ranked with the common shanty in archi- 
tectural adornment, having a door swung on 
hinges, and a window to admit the light. It 
was a large single barrack-like room, and for 
years became also the sleeping apartment of 
tired pleasure-seekers, who, rolled up in their 
blankets on the board floor, were lulled to 
sleep by the monotonous chafing of the ripples 
on the beach. 

Meantime, chance visitors to the lake re- 
turned with enchanting descriptions of its va- 
ried beauties. Mr. Thompson, on his return 
to the village, exhausted the vocabulary of 
adjectives in extolling its wonders. It was 
" the land of promise " spoken of in the Scrip- 
tures, the original " Fountain of Youth," 
sought after by De Soto, " the loveliest spot 
under the canopy," to use his favorite ex- 
pression. In truth, his representations could 
not well exaggerate the admitted beauties of 
the lake and wild surroundings. 

Curiosity was worked up to a high pitch, 
and to gratify it by actual realization, an expe- 
dition was fitted out, composed of some twenty 
or thirty citizens, who descended the river in 
boats. Mr. Thompson took the lead alone in 
his little canoe, ballasted with a few sacks of 
provisions. As commodore of the fleet, he 
issued instructions, and paddled ahead, a 



happy man, not unmindful of his glory. 
From long experience he became a marvel in 
handling a paddle, which he did as deftly as 
an Indian. He protested against a useless 
waste of power and misapplied movements of 
the arm in paddling. " Never," said he, "dip 
the paddle too far ahead, as the force would 
then be expended in lifting up the keel of the 
boat, but when the paddle falls in a perpen- 
dicular line with the rower's body, then the 
back-push against the resisting medium gave 
the only impulse forward to the boat." In 
his progress, to show off his dexterity and 
knowledge of the river, he sometimes cut 
across a bend, through rushes and over lilly- 
pads, thereby avoiding a long detour in keep- 
ing to the currents. About seven miles down 
the river a landing was made for a march of 
three miles over the carrying place to the foot 
of the lake. The landing place was designa- 
ted by a beacon seen from a long distance 
above, consisting of the stub of a big tree on 
the bluff, which had been splintered by a 
thunderbolt. From the landing place to the 
lake, the labors of the traverse commenced, 
sometimes through thickets and underbrush, 
over fallen logs, and across svvails and quag- 
mires; but a portion of the route was unob- 
structed. The men started cheerily forward, 
lugging paddles, fishing poles, and sacks of 
flour, salt pork and other supplies of the com- 
missary department. Thompson took the lead 
as generalissimo of the expedition overland, 
limping briskly forward, shouting words of 
encouragement, and ready to diverge from the 
route to show up some remarkable scenery; 
in one of these, for instance, from the brink 
of a precipice, was seen, spread out beneath, a 
vast marsh, carpeted with moss, extending for 
miles towards the river. 

Arriving at the foot of the lake, a halt was 
called, when the generalissimo expatiated on 
the wonders of the scene soon to open on the 
astonished gaze. To many minds, striking 
images, thus presented to the imagination, 
through the ear, even when conveyed through 
the medium of gushing, bloviating rhetoric, 
leave a stronger impression than when con- 
veyed to the eye by careless observation. 



EARLY RECOLLECTIONS OE ALEXANDRLA HAY. 



257 



At the place of embarkation on the lake 
there was but one canoe and two leaky skiffs 
to take the party to the Island House, the 
terminus of their toils. When tired and hungry, 
curiosity lags, and the most romantic scenery 
loses its charm. The party divided, some 
passing up one side and others on the oppo- 
site side, to the nearest point, until Mr. 
Thompson, having landed the first installment 
from the boats, could cross over and take them 
to the island. The shouts of the men in their 
slow progress along the heavily wooded shores, 



the Sabbath day, hundreds of visitors flocked 
to the lake, some to fish, but mostly others to 
gather huckle (whortle) berries, blue-berries 
and raspberries, which abounded in their 
proper season on the bluffs and in the swamps; 
but Mr. Thompson received little or no reve- 
nue from these people, who accepted his hos- 
pitality rather as friends than as paying guests. 
The lake abounded in black bass, a most 
edible fish. He had a favorite spot, a head- 
land, for catching them, and having captured 
a lot of small frogs for bait in the damp grass 



i-\ 




AN ICE-liOAT, WINTER OF 1894-95. 



and the responsive shouts from the opposite 
side, kept up continuously for several hours, 
startled the three loons seen sailing on the 
lake, causing the bewildered birds to tack from 
one point to the other, for no such yells had 
stirred up the wild varmints in that region 
since the ancient war-whoop was sounded by 
the Indian warriors that passed through on 
their scalping expeditions. 

In the course of time boating facilities were 
increased, and some days, more particularly on 



the evening before, at dawn would paddle out 
in his canoe, that could be seen courtseying in 
the distance like a dark bubble, and returning 
with "the beauties," as he called them, had 
them served up for breakfast. On rainy days' 
he rowed to the east side of the lake, where the 
deep water was filled with the branches of dead 
cedar trees that had fallen in, and rowing 
slowly along, in perhaps two hours' time, he 
would return with the bottom of his boat 
covered by the flopping beauties. 



J58 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



He had an inlimate knowledge of the habits 
of fish — those shrinking creatures best studied 
when out of their native element. Of birds 
and beasts, he also possessed an intimate 
knowledge of their habits and instincts. Re- 
garding the loons, to which reference has 
been made, he believed with old hunters that 
they could not be killed by a rifle while on the 
water, though he would not permit the experi- 
ment to be tried upon the loons that frequented 
his lake. The tradition concerning these 
wary birds is that they can dodge a bullet after 
seeing the flash, for instantly diving down, 
they remain for some time under water, and 
emerge to the surface a long distance from 
the spot where they went under. Thompson 
said he could predict a change of weather 
from the movements of his loons. It was ob- 
served that owing to their heavy conforma- 
tion they could not rise in a calm much above 
the surface of the lake, and when inclined to 
change their present habitat, they flew against 
the wind, which lifted them above the woods, 
thus affording an exit beyond their old prison 
limits. 

He declared that his loons, before a storm, 
would sail to the head of the lake, and when 
the south wind blew they would rise, and, 
flapping their wings, seem to walk on the 
water, but rising gradually, the wind buoying 
them upward higher and higher, until they 
reached the lower end of the lake, three miles 
distant from the place of starting, they would 
attain such an elevation as to clear the highest 
trees, and, thus regaining their freedom, seek 
" fresh fields and pastures new." He re- 



marked the curious fact that though they 
could dodge a bullet on the wave, they could 
not dodge a tree in a calm. 

Talking about the instincts of animals, he 
once remarked on a curious habit of the bears. 
On a heavily wooded ridge along the west 
side of the lake, there was a certain tree that 
on one side was deeply gashed, as if made by 
some huge gnawing animal. It would heal 
over for a time, like the scar inade on a maple 
tree by the sugar-tapper's a.\e, and then it 
would exhibit a freshened appearance, like 
the re-opening of an old wound. 

This peculiar phenomenon, old hunters de- 
clare, was the work of bears. It was a guide- 
post to them in their journeys, the same as 
biazed trees were to any backwoodsman. The 
bears, in traversing the woods from Canada to 
the great northern wilderness, thus left their 
mark as a guide to the other bears which fol- 
lowed them on the same path. Each bear in 
passing would stand on his plantigrade feet, 
gnaw out a fresh chunk, to be freshened up 
by his successors, and thus the great bear- 
route, a genuine international line, was kept 
open. 

I once asked Prof. Ebenezer Emmons, the 
geologist of our district, his opinion as to the 
truth of the statement. The eminent naturalist 
rather doubted the explanation, and attributed 
gnawing of the tree to the cutting season of 
those animals. 

As the novelty of Mr. Thompson's kind of 
life wore away he turned his eye to the 
Thousand Islands with the outcome as before 
stated. 



J^ A 



ALONG THE ST. LAWRENCE IN THE WAR DAYS OF 1861-5. 



1!V COL. AI.HERT ]). SHAW 



OT all the stirring events of the days of 
the Great Rebellion took place along 
Mason's and Dixon's Line. The northern 
border of our country had its e.\.periences of 
more of less interest during these perilous and 
stirring times, between 1 86 1-5, and especially 
was this true along the noble river Saint 
Lawrence. No battles were fought, it 
is true, but many a line of retreat 
marked the passage of myriads of men from 
Uncle Sam's possessions, seeking an asylum 
where they might be safe from dreaded 
"drafts'' and the dangers before the enemy 
in the field. These men loved life more than 
they loved their country, and rather than serve 
in the ranks, they chose to bear the ills of a 
skulker's existence in Canada, in preference 
to flying to others they knew not of, amid the 
shriek of shells and the whizz of bullets. 
Some incidents connected with deserters dur- 
ing this period will not be without interest, it 
is believed, inasmuch as this river marks the 
last stage of the entrance or exit of deserters ; 
for, strange as it may appear, English soldiers 
deserted to the United States to enter the 
Union army, while Americans deserted to 
Canada to get out of the service ! Most of 
the deserters from our army, it should be ex- 
plained, were soldiers who had been wounded 
and allowed to come home on furloughs, and, 
from brooding over physical sufferings, became 
unnerved, and so found it easier to cross the 
St. Lawrence into Canada than it was to re- 
turn to their regiments at the front. The 
life of a " skedaddler " in Canada was far from 
agreeable. Thousands of Canadians served 
in the Union army, as brave men as ever car- 



ried a gun, and the presence of Americans 
who were known to have " skipped " there — 
either as deserters or to avoid being drafted 
— called down upon their defenseless heads 
no end of ridicule and contempt. A case in 
point will illustrate this fact. A deserter from 
the then Twentieth Congressional district, 
comprising the counties of Jefferson, Lewis 
and Herkimer, wrote to Hon. Addison H. 
Laflin, who then represented it in Con- 
gress, saying that if he could be assured that 
he might serve out his time without arrest 
or ]ninishment, he would at once come back 
and be a good soldier. Mr. Laflin took this 
letter to the President, explained the circum- 
stances, and urged that the deserter be given 
the chance he sought. " Certainly," replied 
President Lincoln ; " when a poor fellow has 
made a mistake, by all means give him a 
chance to live it down. There is good stuff 
in that man, for no coward would make such 
a plea." The President took a large blank 
card which lay on his desk and wrote upon it: 

" Private is herewith allowed to come 

to me, wherever he may be, and on his prom- 
ising to be a good soldier and serve out his 
time faithfully, I will pardon him. 

" A. Lincoln." 

It happened that there was not room enough 
on the front of the card to write the above, so 
it was turned over, and the sentence com- 
jjleted. As he did so, a blot of ink fell on 
the card, and after using the blotter, the Presi- 
dent scratched off a part of the ink-stain with 
his thumb nail ! This card was sent to the 
deserter by Mr. Laflin, and in quick time the 
soldier made his way to Washington. Mr. 



262 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



Laflin accompanied liim to the White House, 
and introduced him to the President. The 
card was handed Mr. Lincoln, who said : 
" My dear fellow, I am glad you have re- 
turned. I know you repented of your weak- 
ness in going to Canada, and that you will be 



lamation of amnesty to deserters who would 
return to their regiments was immediately 
issued. 

The enamelled card, with the plain thumb- 
nail marks upon it, which this deserter brought 
back, he gave to Mr. Laflin, who had it 




COL. SHAW. 



a brave Uncle Sara's boy now. Are there 
many more like you over there who would 
come back, if they could know they would be 
pardoned ? " " Yes," replied the weeping de- 
serter, "lots." "Then I will give them all a 
chance," was the reply, and the famous proc- 



mounted between plate glass, with a gold band 
about it, and it is now a precious souvenir of 
President Lincoln's largeness of heart, in the 
late member's family. It is interesting to 
know that a great many deserters returned to 
their regiments under this offer, and — so far 



ALONG THE ST. LAWRENCE IN THE IVAR DAYS OE /S6/-j. 



263 



as known — not one of the number ever went 
to Canada again during the war ! This inci- 
dent is worthy of record, as it shows how 
keenly President Lincoln grasped every ques- 
tion affecting the trials and hardships of the 
private soldiers. He divined, in an instant, 
how men home on furlough, near the Cana- 
dian border, while half sick, and importuned 
by glib-tongued false advisers, might, in a 
moment of weakness, desert; and he saw, in 
the appeal which was brought to his notice, 
that there was an opening to get many of 
these deluded and repentant soldiers back 
into the ranks again. The result proved how 
wisely he took in the true situation. 

Deserters from Canada. 
During the American war a good many de- 
serters from the English troops stationed in 
Canada, from Halifax to Toronto, enlisted in 
our army. The garrison at Kingston fur- 
nished quite a contingent. A well-known 
Canadian became somewhat famous for his 
prophetic forecast of coming visitors to the 
provost-marshal's office, who wore the scarlet 
uniform of British soldiers. His horoscope 
of the stars was so faultless that he frequently 
foretold to an hour when a squad of deserters 
would make their appearance. Death having 
removed any necessity for silence concerning 
actions which were later condoned by Cana- 
dian officials with the full facts before them, 
it is fit and proper that the name of this brave 
recruit-furnisher should be given in this con- 
nection. George Briggs, the party in 'ques- 
tion, was a stalwart six-footer, very muscular, 
and weighed about two hundred pounds. 
Born on Long Island, just opposite King- 
ston, Ontario, he knew every inch of the 
islands and river. He was famous for his 
personal courage, and few cared to test the 
size of his clenched fist. He was a jolly, 
good-hearted fellow, about twenty-five years 
of age, and possessed of rare coolness and 
resources under trying conditions. As a 
general, he would have rivalled some of the 
most capable cavalry officers of the war. 
When three hundred dollars bounty was of- 
fered for volunteers, Briggs saw his opportu- 



nity. He put himself in toucii with the 
British soldiers at Fort Henry, and soon 
found a way to direct them how to reach tlie 
American side. The deserters were always 
treated according to agreement by this fear- 
less director on the underground road to tlie 
United States. Captain Emerson, the provost- 
marshal at Watertown, always made it a rule, 
before enlisting a man, to explain to him the 
amount of bounty he was entitled to receive, 
and insisted that the money due him should 
be paid to the recruit in his presence. In no 
instance did these deserters, brought over by 
Briggs, refuse to promptly pay over to him 
such sum as they had arranged to give him, 
after receiving their bounty. These men 
made fine soldiers. The writer served with 
one of them — Charles Flemming, a member 
of Co. A, 35th N. Y. Vols. At the battle of 
Fredericksburg he lost both legs by a cannon 
shot, and died the next day in hospital. He 
had served in India and the Crimea, and often 
declared that he never had seen hotter fight- 
ing than he experienced in our regiment. 
He lies in an unmarked grave within sight of 
the bloody field on which he received his 
death wound. How many thousands — for- 
eigners to our soil — died like Flemming, on 
the battle-fields of our struggle, m helping 
tread out the heresy of secession amid the 
horrid havoc of contending armies ! 

Some of the incidents attending the escape 
of British deserters from the 47th Regiment 
of the line, at Kingston, are worthy of record. 
The distance between the American shore and 
Kingston is only some twelve miles, but to 
most of the soldiers it was an unknown route. 
Long Island intervened, and guards were 
thickly stationed on its southern shore to in- 
tercept any deserters who might be caught 
making their way to the American side. 
For many months, during 1863-64, the 
9 o'clock evening gun at Kingston was eagerly 
listened for, as one gun each was fired at that 
hour for all deserters, in order that the guards 
might keep a keen watch for them. A party 
of six deserters from the 47th Regiment 
seized a boat at Kingston, late one evening, 
and rowed away around the head of Long 



364 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE KIVER. 



Island, intending to land at the light-house on 
Tibbett's Point, near Cape Vincent. By some 
mistake, being strangers to the route, they 
kept too far to the westward, and after an ex- 
hausting tug at the oars, an exercise few of 
the soldiers were used to, they made land on 
Grenadier Island, near its eastern point. See- 
ing a light in the early morning, one of their 
number cautiously approached it, and this 
proved to be in the house of Abram Cooper, a 
wealthy farmer, and owner of most of the 
island. The deserter nervously inquired, 
'• What place is this; is it in Canada or the 
United States?" "The United States, and 
you are all right," was Cooper's cordial greet- 
ing, as he took in the situation at a glance. 
Turning to his comrades, who were anxiously 
awaiting his report, he shouted, "' Come on, 
boys, we are all safe." Their delight was un- 
bounded, and happier men never sat down to 
an ample breakfast than were those weary and 
hand-blistered deserters. The next day Mr. 
Cooper accompanied them to Cape Vincent, 
where quite an excitement was created by 
their appearance in bright scarlet uniforms. 
Cooper, who was quite a character in his way, 
pompously led the three files of splendid 
young fellows as they marched up to the 
hotel, and many a joke was bandied over the 
excited civilian chieftain who was dauntlessly 
leading his column to an attack on — glass- 
fortified bottles in the hotel bar ! Soon 
after their arrival in the village, several 
officers of their regiment came over to 
try and induce them to return to their 
regiment. The citizens of Cape Vincent 
made it somewhat uncomfortable for these 
officers, and the soldiers would not go into 
any private room for consultation, but rnak- 
ing the interview very public, with any 
amount of advice freely interspersed by the 
excited bystanders. The change in the rela- 
tions between these soldiers and the young 
martinets, who a few hours before were formal 
and indifferent to them, was striking. The 
deserters appreciated it keenly, and curtly 
refused all the persuasive appeals made to 
them on the part of the officers. They all at 
once enlisted in our army. Tourist who pass 



to or from Kingston from Cape Vincent, 
around the head of Long Island, can easily 
take in the route of these deserters in their 
unknown way to the freedom they sought. 
Another party of ten deserters crossed over 
on the ice, following the line of the Long 
Island Canal. All went well until they came 
to Big Bay, which somehow puzzled them, 
and two of the party became exhausted 
through heavy walking in the deep snow, 
and had to be left behind. The others pressed 
forward, and seeing a light on Carlton Island 
made for this point. The walk was a long 
and tiresome one, and they soon found that 
they had several miles to tramp before they 
would reach Cape Vincent. Few can realize 
how bitter cold a walk in the night on the ice 
in the river St. Lawrence rarely is, who have 
had no experience; and when the night is 
cold, and the distance long, the situation is 
far from being an agreeable one. On finally 
reaching the " Cape," they struck the shore 
near the engine-house, at the railway, and 
seeing a light, just at the dawn of day, one of 
them peeped in, much to the surprise of the 
night watchman. " Is this in the United 
States ? " was his pathetic query. On being 
assured that he was on Uncle Sam's free soil 
he called to his half frozen companions to 
" Come on," and a grateful coal fire never 
seemed friendlier to these deserters than on 
this occasion. The following day they en- 
listed at VVatertown. Briggs was at the Cape 
to go with them to headquarters; and he 
could not understand how ten men could 
possibly make any mistake in crossing direct 
to Cape Vincent after all the object lessons 
he had taught them, and all the descriptions 
he had given' them, a day or so before they 
unceremoniously left their quarters in Kings- 
ton. They had made a sharp detour out of 
a direct course from the canal to Cape Vin- 
cent, by turning to the eastward so as to 
touch at Carlton Island. 

Briggs was fertile in his expedients in get- 
ting deserters across the river, in summer as 
well as in winter. In the winter of 1863 he 
put four deserters in an open sleigh, covered 
them with blankets and bags of bran, and 



ALONG THE ST. LAWRENCE IN THE WAR DAYS OF 1S01-5 



267 



drove through the city and across Long 
Island, passing two lookout posts on the route 
without trouble, and reached Cape Vincent in 
safety. Two days later he repeated the same 
action, but somehow suspicion had fallen on 
his plans, and, as he drove out upon the ice 
in Kingston harbor, detectives made chase 
with a fleet horse. Briggs scented the danger 
at once, and, forcing his fine span of fleet 
liorses into a run, made iiot time to the island 
and swept across in great shape, until he 
reached " Tom Horn's," a noted hotel oppo- 
site Cape Vincent. Here the British patrol 
was quartered, and as he drove up, his horses 
covered witii foam, a guard asked, " What 
have you got, and why have you run your 
horses so?" "Come and see," was Briggs' 
rei)ly, and, as the guard approached him, he 
seized the soldier's musket, pushed him into 
the snow, and, putting his horses to their best 
pace, was soon out of the reach of the shouts 
and bullets of the irate and dumbfounded 
guards! He knew that he could get away be- 
fore another guard and gun could put in an ap- 
pearance, and in this he made no mistake. 
He sent the gun back the next day, with his 
regrets that he found it necessary to borrow 
it, and hoping that his slipping down in the 
snow did not inconvenience him in the least ! 
This bold adventure was rather a serious one, 
as it finally turned out. Briggs could not re- 
turn, the team was under the ban of Canadian 
law, and so team and man found quarters at 
Cape Vincent for a time. Duty was paid on 
the animals, and this naturalized them, while 
the hero of the incident made merry over the 
success of his action. But it was too hot in 
Kingston for him for some time. Great ex- 
citement prevailed there. The long suspicion 
was at last moulded into certainty. Briggs 
had been the mysterious agency through which 
so many deserters had been piloted to " the 
States," and a price was set on his head. 

Captain Kidd and Claude Duval of earlier 
times liad a rival in George Briggs for many 
months. Daring to return to Canadian soil, 
after the excitement had largely subsided, he 
was arrested and placed in prison, without 
bail. It looked dark for the dauntless 



"George," behind unfeeling bolts and bars, in 
strong walls confined, and the end of his 
career as a " deserter's pilot " was supposed 
to have been reached. But not so with 
Briggs. He had no idea of languishing long 
in prison, and living on the plain fare of 
criminals. One day his father was allowed to 
visit him, and while he was there Briggs sud- 
denly but gently disarmed the guard, and 
strode unconcernedly past the sentinels and 
regained his liberty ! A little later the guard 
sounded an alarm, and when the room was 
visited, old Mr. Briggs was calmly looking out 
of the grated window ! There was revelry by 
day for a few minutes, and when the facts of 
the situation were ascertained, there was great 
commotion. Father Briggs was the only cool 
man in the room. He was greatly surprised 
at seeing so many officials of the prison come 
in. " Where is ray son ? " asked the father, 
with much feigned feeling. " Where is he ! " 
was the reply. " What did you do to help 
him escape ? " " Do ! " said the apparently 
surprised father; "what do you mean? 
Where is my son ? I came in to see George 
half an hour ago, and after a little, he said he 
wanted to speak with the guard a minute, and 
I looked out of this window. It appeared 
kind of natural, and so I enjoyed it for a few 
moments, and then I heard a rumpus and, 
looking round, saw the guards rushing in 
here. That's all I know about it. Really, 
has George gone for good? " And, as there 
was no proof that he had done anything to 
abet his son's escape, he was finally released. 
The grim humor of the escapade — to those 
who knew the cool calculations for the event 
— was fully appreciated by all who knew 
father and son intimately. Old Mr. Briggs 
was a counterpart of his son in features 
and in burly form, and it was this close 
resemblance, when similarly clothed, that 
made his passing of the guards possible 
and easy. They supposed that the father was 
on his way home, and so had not the least sus- 
picion of the real facts of the case. As may 
well be imagined, the city of Kingston and 
surrounding country were profoundly stirred 
by this second adventure of the redoubtable 



268 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



and inextinguishable Briggs. For a time, he 
kept out of the British dominions; but at 
length he returned to his old home, the friend 
of everybody, and a general favorite. Years 
afterwards he set his wits to work in smug- 
gling oil from the States into Canada, and so 
expert was he that the Canadian authorities 
actually appointed him an inspector of cus- 
toms, thus bringing to the support of the laws 
one of the keenest offenders against them. 
This move put an end to this sort of smug- 
gling, practically. Few dared to take the 
chances of falling under Briggs' veteran eye; 
and to the end of his life he did his duty faith- 
fully and well. He was a noble-hearted friend, 
as brave a man as ever lived, and tender, as 
few are, to the sufferings of the poor and 
afflicted. The writer knew him well, and 
greatly admired the rugged side of his manly 
character. Again and again has he listened 
to the graphic and yet modest recitals of the 
adventures of this jolly and fearless man dur- 
ing the war period, which were told in a man- 
ner profoundly impressive. Briggs was the 
Rob Roy of Canada, — clever, of boundless 
resources, and yet gentle as a child in the 
presence of sorrow and distress. His career 
was a unique and remarkable one, as it 
opened by his piloting many British soldiers 
out of Canada to enlist in the Union army. 
It was continued by smuggling large quantities 
of oil from the States into Canada, and it 
closed by his admirable services as an excise 
officer in the service of the Crown! His 
name and fame will long abide as that of a 
man famous in his day in the circles where he 
lived; and few public characters of his time, 
along the St. Lawrence river, created a deeper 
interest, or was more popular, than the daring, 
erratic and chivalrous George Briggs, — out- 
law, smuggler, and admirable public officer. 

Deserters, " Bounty Jumpers," and 
"Skedadlers." 

There were two classes of deserters who 
became well known along the northern 
frontier, bordering on Canada, during the war 
days of 1862-5. First there was the " bounty 
jumper," who came over from Canada to 



enlist, with the sole purpose of securing a 
large bounty and then making his escape 
back to Canada, only to re-appear at some 
distant point in the States to repeat the 
operation. " Juinping the bounty " and 
"bounty jumpers," describe this precious 
class of rascals in the popular speech of the 
time. Second, then came the much smaller 
class who deserted from the front, or while 
home on furlough, and made their way to 
Canada, or, as was frequently the case, hired 
out to farmers on the American side near 
the border, so as to easily cross into the 
Dominion, in case of danger. The first class 
named were, as a rule, a bad lot, without 
patriotism or character, and mere robbers of 
the bounty paid for the purpose of securing 
recruits for our army; while many of the sec- 
ond class, returning to their homes along 
the Canadian borders, on sick-leave, in a mo- 
ment of weakness and fear, weary of the 
dangers and hardships of active service, and 
not infrequently suffering from wounds and 
ill-health, were tempted to make their way 
across the St. Lawrence River into the 
(Queen's Dominions. A third element of 
safety seekers during this period was the 
" skedadler," who ran away to Canada for 
fear of the dreaded " draft." This was com- 
paratively a large class — and a pitiable one 
also. Every young man who left for Canada 
was a marked object for keen ridicule by all 
who knew him. To admitted cowardice 
there was added the sharp tooth of criticism, 
of a kind that made sure wreck of any future 
promise in the land of his birth. Every such 
" skedadler " dug his own grave when he 
made Canada a shelter from duty's manly 
service. If a record of the arrests and at- 
tempted arrests of deserters along the St. 
Lawrence River could be given, it would 
furnish interesting matter, but only a few 
cases can be mentioned here. 

The writer of this chapter was a special 
agent of the War Department during the 
period of which this treats, and it fell in the 
line of his duty to become the principal actor 
in several exciting scenes in this connection, 
along the historic river St. Lawrence. 



ALONG THE SV. LAWRENCE /N THE WAR PAYS OF iS6i-^. 



269 



Word reached the Provost-Marshal at 
Watertown, tliat a number of deserters were 
in the habit of returning to this side of 
the river, just below Millen's Bay, and the 
writer was ordered to try and arrest them. 
Taking a soldier with him, he went to 
a point on the St. Lawrence, just opposite 
Grinnell's Island. On the Canadian shore, 
opposite this point, quite a little colony of 
deserters had found work at small pay on 
farms about the section, and several were in 
the habit of crossing over the river to pay 
visits to relatives and friends who met them 
at the shore. Taking up quarters with a 
family named Carter, living just opposite Grin- 
nell's Island, on the Union shore, the de- 
tectives had not long to wait before the wife 
of a deserter came down and waved a signal 
to her husband to come across. The detec- 
tives were concealed in the house, and soon 
saw a small boat put out from the other side. 
It came over, and, just as it struck the beach, 
the officer, pistol in hand, stepped forward 
and ordered the deserter to surrender. 

He was sitting in his skiff, talking to his 
wife, so as to be ready for any surprise, as was 
his custom ; and the moment he was con- 
fronted by the officer he sprang up, and with 
an oar quickly pushed his boat out beyond 
reach. Pointing his large Colt's revolver at 
the deserter, the officer commanded him to 
come ashore, or he would fire. His wife 
jumped up and down in a half frantic manner, 
and shouted shrilly, "Don't you doit; don't 
you do it; let him shoot you first!" She, 
at least, was no coward ; her ringing words 
and dramatic acts had a strange effect upon 
the now pale-faced deserter, giving him 
courage — the blind courage of despair; and 
his wife's stirring words, shrieked into his 
ears, spurred him on in his desperate effort 
for freedom. The officer shoved off his 
boat, and, being a good oarsman, soon 
gained upon the retreating deserter. The 
wife kept up her encouraging appeals, while 
the lady residents of the solitary house on the 
shore were eager spectators of the comical and 
yet serious race before them. The deserter 
had a small sail to his skiff, and this began to 



aid him as he inillcd out from under the shore 
into the breeze, which happened to be from 
tlie south, thus strongly aiding him in his 
efforts to escape. The officer found that the 
race, under tlie conditions of oars and sail, 
was an uneven one, and in hastily glancing at 
the fleeing fugitive over his shoulder, to see 
how things were working, an oar sliijijcd u]) 
on the iron thole-jjin, which bent down, and 
over went the officer on his back, in the bot- 
tom of the boat, with his heels in the air ! A 
shout went up from the jubilant wife on shore, 
which did not add to the officer's good feel- 
ings ; and, regaining his feet in the tottling 
boat, he called to the deserter that he would 
shoot if he did not instantly surrender. No 
iieed was paid to the summons, and fire was 
opened upon him in brisk fashion, at less than 
100 yards distance. 

Bullet after bullet, from the heavy Colt's 
revolver, was sent point blank at the desper- 
ate man. who was rowing for dear life to get 
across the river. Each shot went close to 
the mark, as could be seen as they splashed 
into the river just beyond him. Six shots 
were fired, when the chase had to be aband- 
oned, and the officer returned to the shore a 
greatly disgusted and beaten man. The de- 
serter's wife was still on the shore and greeted 
him with stinging jeers, but an ungallant and 
yet forcible threat that her own arrest might 
follow, silenced her nimble tongue — which 
was, perhaps, not unnatural under the pecu- 
liar circumstances. Later in the day a drum 
and fife were heard across the river, and by 
the aid of a good glass a gathering of men 
could be seen there. Early in the evening a 
neighbor, who had been on the other side, 
came and told the officer that an attack was 
contemplated from the deserters, who had 
sworn vengeance for the attempt to arrest one 
of their number. The officer and guard pre- 
pared to give them a warm reception in case 
they should come. Their situation, however^ 
was not at all desirable, in view of the fact 
that a dozen desperate deserters were in easy 
reach, and only two men were present to 
meet any attack. Mrs. Carter was a widow, 
with two daughters, living at the landing 



270 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



alone, and yet these young ladies had the real 
pluck and courage of true heroines. They 
volunteered to go out on picket, but this was 
not permitted. Bullets were cut up into 
slugs so as to make a scattering charge, doors 
and windows were barricaded, and all was 
made ready for a stubborn defense. The 
drum and fife could be plainly heard for more 
than an hour, and when darkness came on a 
sharp outlook was kept for the threatened 
attack. But none came. Discretion was 
held to be better than indiscretion, by the 
irate deserters, and while many counseled 
" war to the knife," the majority finally con- 
cluded not to make an attack on Uncle Sam's 
soldiers. The night passed with no alarm, 
and the next day the forces of the United 
States silently and somewhat sullenly with- 
drew — beaten but not disgraced. 

This deserter, after the war, said that one 
bullet passed through his hair, and that sev- 
eral of them whistled so near to him that he 
felt the swish of the air, and feared he had 
been bit. He declared that he was too 
" scared to surrender," and that he mechani- 
cally took the oars, rowing away in vigorous 
fashion, in sheer desperation from the first 
impulse that came over him. This adventure 
had a marked effect, however, upon the ac- 
tions of the deserters living across the river. 
They at first made a great deal of noise and 
loudly threatened great things because of this 
attempt to arrest one of their miserable clan, 
but they thereafter took good care to keep 
themselves safely on the Canadian side of the 
river. The officer on returning to ^Vatertown 
was unmercifully hectored over this failure to 
arrest the deserter. This was one instance 
where the force of the United States was 
baffled by the escape of the enemy, on the 
Saint Lawrence, during the days of the south- 
ern rebellion. One cause of great gratitude 
on the part of the officer failing to make the 
arrest was that none of his shots hit the un- 
fortunate deserter, during his desperate exer- 
tions to reach the Canadian shore. Years 
afterwards the writer visited this spot, and 
mused over the exciting scene enacted there 
many years before. It is a lovely view from 



the shore where the deserter landed his boat, 
Grinnell's Island, covered with fine foliage, 
looked like a large Emerald gem in the clear, 
sweet river, while on the right, looking 
Canadaward, a well-wooded plot lined the far 
shore of the little bay. The heroic ladies 
were gone — the mother dead, and the daugh- 
ters married — and all changed about the spot 
except the charming scenery along the noble 
river. Cows stood in the shallows near the 
shore, gently w-hisking the flies from their 
bodies as they drank the sweet water, and 
cooled their feet in its grateful current. 
Small in importance as the incident was, of 
the escape of the deserter, it brought back 
memories of the war days of more than pass- 
ing interest to one of the chief actors in the 
serio-comic little drama of years before. 

Another very interesting event happened 
not far from Clayton in the fall 1862. Captain 
John A. Haddock, while home from the 35th 
N. Y. Vols., on recruiting service, was informed 
that deserters from our army livingin Canada, 
were constantly coming over and stealing poul- 
try, pigs and other things, greatly to the annoy- 
ance of our farmers along the St. Lawrence. 
This was more than the energetic Haddock 
could bear, and so, with a detail of five sol- 
diers, he went to the scene of these depreda- 
tions. He ascertained that several deserters 
were stopping at a point near the American 
shore, and he laid his plans to cross over in 
the night, capture them and bring them back 
with him. The scheme was a bold one — for 
it simply meant an invasion of foreign terri- 
tory, and the high-handed arrest of men on 
foreign soil. But the fiery captain paid small 
attention to these trivial considerations, in 
view of the dastardly actions of deserters 
he loathed. A little before midnight Cap- 
tain Haddock had his command embark in a 
boat with him, and, owing to the ice in the 
river between the main land and the island, 
some difficulty was experienced in reaching 
the foot of Long Island. Once safely 
landed, a careful disposition of the force was 
made, so as to be sure that the deserters 
known to be in the house could not escape, 
and a loud demand was made for these men 



ALONG THE ST. LAWRENCE IN TffE WAR PA )-S (II- lS6l-J 



273 



to come out and surrender, 'rhe Canadian 
light-house keeper, at whose home tlie desert- 
ers were stopping, rushed out, ax in hand, 
and loudly declared that he would kill any 
Yankee mother's son who attempted to in- 
vade the sacred soil of Canada, in an unlaw- 
ful effort to arrest any one under his roof. 
He stormed and raved, and proved his right 
to be called brave as well as valuable by the 
stalwart way he defended his own by act and 
speech. But the undaunted Haddock finally 
got his ear, and plainly told him he was there 
to arrest the two deserters ; that he was backed 
by the army of the United States ; and, finally, 
that he was there to take them — • without 
bloodshed, if possible — -in "gore," if neces- 
sary. This resolute stand caused the over- 
powered Canadian to yield, his threatening ax 
was laid down, the two American desert- 
ers were seized, and the American forces 
made an orderly return to the main shore in 
triumph, bringing their prisoners with them ! 
Captain Haddock's bold and rash adventure 
created a profound impression among the 
American deserters, along the river especially. 
They " climbed to the rear lively " immedi- 
ately afterwards, as one described it, because 
they were dreaming dreams and seeing visions 
of approaching officers in search of Uncle 
Sam's delinquents. The hue and cry that 
followed made no end of talk along the border 
on both sides of the river. Pig and chicken 
stealing on the American shore ceased at once, 
and one of the scarcest specimens seen for a 
long time of the genus homo was an American 
deserter in these parts. 

Haddock was for a time a typical dare-devil 
hero — greatly admired by the small boy, and 
gratefully appreciated by all haters of desert- 
ers and the " blarsted Britishers" — as the 
phrase went in these exciting and turbulent 
days. Not long after this much-discussed 
" invasion," Captain Haddock returned to his 
regiment in Virginia, then in winter quarters. 
But a cloud suddenly fell upon his short- 
lived glory. The Canadian Government had 
made haste to lay before the British foreign 
ofifice the facts about the unwarranted arrest 
of the two deserters on British soil, and angrily 



demanded satisfaction. 'I"he British Govern- 
ment immediately notified the 15ritish Minister 
at Wasliington to secure pro;n|)t redress from 
■Secretary Seward for the indignity which 
Captain Haddock and his merry soldiers had 
inllicted on the soil of Long Island. Secretary 
Seward sent this demand to the Secretary of 
War, and Secretary Stanton forwarded it, in 
due course, to Captain Haddock for a reply. 
The Captain had thought the matter over, and 
the case of the Steamer Caroline which was 
captured many years before at Schlosser's 
Landing, in the Niagara River, by British sub- 
jects — one man being killed, and the steamer 
set on fire and sent over the Falls — seemed to 
him a fair set off, inasmuch as the act was highly 
applauded by the British Government at the 
time. What was sauce for the goose he thought 
might be sauce for the gander — internationally 
considered. But this defence and explanation 
were deemed insufficient, and a general order 
was read to the regiment dismissing Captain 
John A. Haddock from the service, for his 
midnight raid into British territory on the 
St. Lawrence River, at the head of five 
brave American soldiers. His official head 
was off — but he still lived. He made 
haste to Washington, and at once called 
upon Secretary Stanton. " Oh," said the 
Secretary, " you are Captain Haddock, who 
invaded Canada with a force of five men and 
captured two American deserters, and whom 
we have just dismissed from the service 
because the British Minister demanded this 
thing done." Pausing a moment, he added : 
" No matter, Captain, we had to dismiss you 
for your act, under all the circumstances, but 
I will give you a better position right away," 
and he had a commission as Major in the 
Reserve Corps issued and signed by President 
Lincoln the same afternoon. It remains one 
of the most precious souvenirs of the gallant 
Major to this day. It is evidence of the both 
laughable and serious performance which took 
place in the pale moonlight, on an island in 
the St. Lawrence, where a blow was struck 
that, literally, later on, " echoed round the 
world." True, its tones did not create much 
of a commotion, but they heljted make the 



274 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



diapason of history, and the event is believed 
to be fittingly worthy of a place in this 
Souvenir history of the majestic river this same 
Major Haddock is preparing for the public. 

Biographical Sketch. 

The following notice, taken from the Wdtei- 
toivii Daily Times of April 3, 1895, contains a 
brief but clear biographical notice of the 
author of the deeply interesting chapter of his- 
toric reminiscences which are printed on the 
preceding pages. It is inserted here because 
it tersely describes in part, Col. Shaw's ser- 
vices to the country in war and peace. — [The 
Editor. 

An Evening with the Great. — A Large Audi- 
ence Hears Eloouent Portrayals of some of 
THE World's Famous Men. 

" The closing lecture of the course at the Baptist 
church last evening was a charming event. The 
audience was large and appreciative, and their at- 
tention never flagged for a nnoment. Major J. A. 
Haddock presided, and Mr. Seymour Knowlton 
sang a solo with great feeling, and gave a delightful 
encore, charming the audience by his remarkable 
voice. The chairman in introducing the dis- 
tinguished speaker, said: 

"When I joined the 35th regiment, it was in the 
field. At Falls Church, during our first winter's 
cantonment, I made the acquaintance of a young 
man in Company " A." The company contained 
probably more capable young men than any other 
that went from Jefferson county, perhaps from any 
other section. Upon its rolls were the names of 
Gen. Bradley Winslow, Col. Enos, Col. D. M. 
Evans, Capt. Henry Chittenden, Lieut. Morgan, 



Capt. Beckwith, Capt. Little, Licnt. Greenleaf, and 
others equally as bright, a wonderfully capable lot 
of young men. This young man, who was destined 
to prove himself the peer of the best of these, had a 
face like an interrogation point, one eternal ques- 
tion — always wanting to find out something. His 
pursuit of knowledge was phenomenal, an honorable 
and marked characteristic to possess. He tramped 
and fought with us all through the habitable parts of 
Virginia, ever present, ever hopeful, the raconteur, 
thr charming storyteller. He was in the thickest 
of the fight at Falmouth, at Fredericksburg, at Cedar 
Mountain, at White Sulphur Springs, at Groveton. 
at Second Bull Run, at Chantilly, at South Moun- 
tain, at Antietam — he was in every place where the 
regiment was, for it never went into camp unless 
this young man with the inquiring face was there, 
up in time with a clean gun, and with a fine lot of 
ammunition. He shared in our inglorious provost 
duty for the best part of a long year. Through the 
Watertown papers I kept track of him, and alter he 
was honorably discharged I saw that his name was 
in every good work. At last I heard of him as the 
representative of this great nation in one of the 
greatest commercial cities of the world, a city cele- 
brat-?d even in a whole kingdom of greatness. 
There he ' justified the honors he had gained,' and 
his associates in Manchester thought it right to 
shower upon him many marks of well-earned dis- 
tinction. In this model soldier, this good citizen, 
this pattern husband and parent, this Christian gen- 
tleman, with that same inquisitive face turned to- 
wards knowledge, 3'ou will recognize my beloved 
comrade, CoL. Shaw, whom I have the honor to 
present to this large audience in intelligent and dis- 
criminating Watertown. The colonel will talk to 
you of the men he has met in his long and varied 
service as a public officer of the American govern- 
ment, not only in Canada, but in the British Islands." 



FRANK H. TAYLOR. 



Among the favored residents at the pleas- 
ant summer colony of Round Island there are 
none better known ot inore enthusiastic re- 
garding the charms of the Thousand Islands 
than Mr. Frank H. Taylor, one of the few 
Philadelphians who spend their summer in 
this region. After much and varied travel as 
an illustrator and writer, Mr. Taylor came to 
the St. Lawrence upon a mission for Harper's 
Weekly in 18S1, and at once recognizing the 
certainty of its supremacy as a summer resort, 



he built the pretty cottage at the foot of 
Round Island, which he calls " Shady Ledge." 
Mr. Taylor, with his wife and only son, who 
is also an artist, return here each season with 
great regularity in June, and devote the sum- 
mer to the congenial work of the water color- 
ist. Mr. Taylor's illustrations of island life, 
accompanied by vivid descriptions, have ap- 
peared in many publications, and have done 
much to popularize the beautiful islands 
throughout the country. The writer is in- 



GRAND VIEW PARK. 



275 



debted for several picturesque cliapters in this 
work to Mr. Taylor's facile pen. He has 
done more to popularize the St. Lawrence 
Archipelago than any other man. This he has 
been enabled to do from the fact that he is 
not only a fine writer, but an artist as well, 
and can both describe and delineate anything 



lie desires to present. This is a most happy 
co.iibination of talent, as valuable as it is rare. 
Mr. Taylor's delineations have been delicate 
but inost expressive. He is one who brings 
the love of nature into his work, fully believ- 
ing that honest delineation of scenery much 
above any attempt to introduce fancy effects. 



GRAND VIEW PARK. 



|N the north-western point, at the head of 
Wellesley Island, is located Grand View 
Park. A more appropriate name for this 
charming spot it would be difficult to conceive. 
Nature has been kind in its endowment of 
qualities valuable in a summer resort; jutting 
far out into the waters, with the Canadian 
main channel on one side and Eel Bay on the 
other, it receives the prevailing west wind 
fresh and pure full in its face — yet because of 
the thrifty growth of young forest trees, almost 
covering its surface, visitors at this Park may 
find shelter when desirable from the winds, 
blow whence they may. 

The prominitory lies high and dry, and from 
the head, on which stands the comfortable 
Grand View House, with its broad piazzas, 
may be seen both main shores and many of the 
mazy islands lying between, Grand View be- 
ing about four miles from the American and 
three from the Canadian shore. A fine sandy 
bathing beach, extending gradually into deep 
water, renders bathing safe even for women 
and children. It is acknowledged to be the 
finest beach among the islands, and many 
yachting parties from Alexandria Bay, Round 
Island, Thousand Island Park and other re- 
sorts spend the afternoon pleasantly at this 
point. Fishermen who sojourn at Grand View 
Park say they are "right in it." 

Among the very desirable qualities of the 
place is, that being in the center of the river, 
it is just off the great thoroughfares of travel, 
and hence affords its guests and cottagers the 
much sought-for rest, comfort and quietude 
which they leave their town homes to find. 

In connection with the hotel are several 



annex cottages where many of the guests find 
just the quarters they most prefer, and fishing 
and boating parties on the river from other 




TRANK H. lAVLtiK, THE ARTIST. 

points come to the hotel in great numbers for 
dinner. 

The private cottages as well as hotels are 
served with water from the reservoir tanks, 
which are frequently flooded from the waters 
of the river pumped from beyond the head of 
the park. 

The post-office, established three years ago, 
receives and dispatches mails twice daily, and 
at the dock Uncle Sam's customs officer 
will attend to the imposts and other duties of 
his office. The docks are ample for the land- 
ing of any of the Folger boats, and on her 



2/6 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE Rn'ER. 




recent years at the 
Thousand Islands. 

Fond of fishing and 
rowing, he had often 
noticed in his wander- 
ings the beautiful loca- 
tion of this sightly point 
and the magnificent 
views obtained from its 
surface. Finally, in 
1885, he purchased the 
site, embracing twenty- 
five acres of land, and 
with the aid of Mr. E. 
A. Bond, then chief 
engineer of the Utica 
and Black River Rail- 
road, he surveyed the 
park into blocks and 
lots, divided by about 



ramble and search lights trips the " St. 
Lawrence" makes landing here after 
leaving Clayton, on all occasions de- 
sired, while the Park's own ferryboat 
makes from four to eight round trips 
daily to Thousand Island Park, where 
connection is made with other line steam- 
ers for points up or down the river. 

The founding of Grand View Park 
was due to the efforts of the well known 
book publisher, Mr. Hamilton Child, of 
Syracuse, N. Y., a gentleman who had 
for many years spent portions of his 
summers on the water, and in more 




GLIMPSE OF THE DOCK, GRAND VIEW PARK. 




two and one-quarter miles of avenues 
and rambles — new buildings appeared 
— improvements which are still going 
on each year. Fifty-nine buildings lots 
are now in private hands, while nearly 
one hundred and seventy are yet in the 
market for purchasers. 

The vistas from " The Head," "Bay- 
side," " Prospect Point," and " Over- 
look," are varied and charming, — from 
the latter point and vicinity the views 
command nearly the entire Canadian 
town of Gananoque — its electric lights 
in the evening, glaring like so many 



GR/LXD !7Eir PARK. 



2/9 




ON THE LAWN. GRAND VIEW HOUSE. 



glittering 
stars. Every 
lot on this 
park, ive are 
in formed, is 
suitable for 
building 
upon. 

Mr. Child, 
while re- 
counting his 
own efforts 
in upbuilding 
this comfort- 
able and de- 
lightful resort 
for those who 
make it their 
abiding place 
in vacation 
time, reverts 

also with commendable pride to the labors of from Henry, one of the original settlers under 
liis grandfather and of his father in connection William Penn, then living near Philadelphia, 
with the two principal villages of the island Pa., came to Brownville in 1804 by direction 
region, Alexandria Bay and Clayton, and a of James D. LeRay de Chaumont, to confer 
brief account of which may not be uninterest- with his agent, Jacob Brown, afterward Gen- 
ing to the general reader. Cadwallader Child, eral of the American forces on the northern 
the grandfather of Hamilton, fourth in descent frontier in the war of 1812-14, relative to 

projec ted 
roads Mr. 
Child was 
to survey. 
One of his 
first roads 
was that 
from the 
site of 
F r i e n d s' 
settlement 
( Philadel- 
\\ h i a ) to 
the St. 
Lawrence, 
since 
known as 
the"Alex- 
a n d r i a 
road," and 

PIAZZA GRAND VIEW HOUSE, THOUSAND ISLANDS. it WaS in 




2 So 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



that same summer he selected the site of 
Alexandria Bay for a port and village, and 
by his recommendation a mile square was set 
apart by Mr. LeRay for that purpose. 

On that survey he also selected and recom- 
mended the site of Theresa for a village. He 
afterward went back to Pennsylvania, organ- 



ized a company of Friends, who with their 
families returned and settled in Philadelphia. 
Cadwallader Child made the first clearing, and 
his son Oliver, father of Hamilton, was the 
second cliild born in that town. He, too, be- 
came a prominent surveyor for Mr. LeRay, and 
in 1833 he resurveyed the village of Clayton. 



WHAT CAUSED THE GREAT ST. LAWRENCE RIVER, AND WHY DOES IT 

FLOW WHERE IT DOES? 



PREPARED P.Y F. .A. HINDS, C. E., OF W.ATERTOWN. 

/^ HESE are questions that will ever present the law, has on the Pacific side- — the side of 

T^ themselves as the majesty and immensity the great ocean — the Rocky Mountains, on 

of this noble river impresses itself upon us. the Atlantic side the low Appalachians, and 

Prof. James D. Dana, of Yale College, 
in his Manual of Geology, declares it is 
not by chance, or a haphazard circum- 
stance, that there is a great water-course 
flowing through a valley to the eastward 
in the middle of the North American 
continent; but that it is " a law of the 
system of surface-forms of continents." 
In his chapter on Physiographic Geology 
he says : 

" First. The continents have in gen- 
eral elevated mountain-borders and a 
low or basin-like interior. 

" Secondly. The highest border faces 
the larger ocean. 

"A survey of the continents in suc- 
cession with reference to this law will 
exhibit both the unity of system among 
them and the peculiarities of each, de- 
pendent on their different relations to 
the oceans. 

" The two Americas are alike in lying 
between the Atlantic and the Pacific ; 
moreover. South America is set so far to 
the east of North America (being east of 
the meridian of Niagara Falls), that each 
has an almost entire ocean-contour. 
Moreover, each is triangular in outline, 
with the widest part, or head, to the 
north. 

" North America, in accordance with c.vptor and prize. 





.J2^1i> 



WHAT CAUSED THE GREAT ST. LAWRE.WI': RU'ER? 



283 



between the two there is the great plain of the 
interior. 

" To the nortli of North America lies the 
small Arctic ocean, mucii encumbered with 
land ; and, correspondingly, there is no dis- 
tinct mountain-chain facing the ocean. 

" The characteristics of the interior plain of 
the continent are well displayed in its river 
systems : the great Mississippi system turned 
to the south, and making its exit into the Gulf 
of Mexico between the approaching extremi- 
ties of the eastern and western mountain 
range; the St. Lawrence sloping off north- 
eastward; the Mackenzie, to the northward; 
the central area of the plain dividing the three 
systems being only about 1,700 feet above the 
ocean, a less elevation than about the head- 
waters of the Ohio in the State of New York. 

" South America, like North America, has 
its great western range of mountains, and its 
smaller eastern; and the Brazilian line is 
closely parallel to that of the Appalachians. 
As the Andes face the South Pacific, a wider 
and probably much deeper ocean than the 
North Pacific, so they are more than twice the 
height of the Rocky Mountains, and, more- 
over, they rise more abruptly from the ocean, 
with narrow shore plains. 

" Unlike North America, South America has 
a broad ocean on the north- — the North At- 
lantic, in its longest diameter ; and, accord- 
ingly, this northern coast has its mountain 
chain reaching along through Venezuela and 
Guiana. 

"The drainage of South America, as observed 
by Professor Guyot, is closely parallel with 
that of North America. There are first, a 
southern — the La Plata — reaching the At- 
lantic towards the south, between the converg- 
ing east and west chains, like the Mississippi; 
second, an eastern system — that of the Ama- 
zon — corresponding to the St. Lawrence, 
reaching the same ocean just north of the 
eastern mountain border; and, third, a northern 
system — that of the Orinoco — draining the 
slopes or mountains north of the Amazon 
system. The two Americas are thus singu- 
larly alike in system of structure; they are 
built on one model." 



Thus one of the most noted and most cred- 
ited geologists of our time, declares it to be 
as it were a fixed law, in the forming of con- 
tinents, that there should be a great river sys- 
tem flowing from the middle portion of each 
continent eastward, or toward the lesser ocean. 

Whatever may have been the conditions of 
this locality in the earlier ages of the world, 
with regard to subsidences and elevations of 
the earth's crust, it is quite probable that the 
relation between the river valley and the ad- 
joining hills and mountains has remained 
approximately the same; that is, it was always 
a valley. 

There is evidence, however, that there was 
an age when even this mighty river was turned 
back upon itself, and the waters were refused 
an outlet to the sea. This evidence is found 
in the elevated lake borders and gravel or 
pebble ridges that are to be seen along the 
adjoining highlands in New York State and 
Ohio. 

Prof. G. Frederick Wright, of Oberlin Col- 
lege, in his book, "The Ice Age in North 
America," after discussing the present topog- 
raphy of Ohio, and the evidence that glacial 
action has changed the course of many ancient 
streams, says : 

" On coming to the region of the Great 
Lakes, the influence of ice-barriers in maintain- 
ing vast bodies of water at a high level is very 
conspicuous. Around the south shore of 
Lake Erie there is an ascending series of 
what are called lake ridges. These are com- 
posed of sand and gravel, and consist largely of 
local material, and seem to maintain through- 
out their entire length a definite level with 
reference to the lake, though accurate meas- 
urements have not been made over the whole 
field. The approximation, however, is suffi- 
ciently perfect to permit us to speak of them 
as maintaining a uniform level. These ridges 
can be traced for scores of miles in a continu- 
ous line, and in the early settlement of the 
country were largely utilized for roads. In 
Loraine county, Ohio, an ascending series of 
four ridges can be distinguished at different 
levels above the lake. The highest is from 
200 to 220 feet above it ; the next is approxi- 



284 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



niately 150 to 160 feet; the next lower is from 
100 to 118 feet, and the next lower less than 
100 feet, while some appear on the islands 
near Sandusky, which are not over 70 feet 
above the water level. Eastward from Buf- 
falo portions of this series have been traced, 
according to Gilbert, until they disappear 
against the highlands, near Alden, on the 
Erie railroad. 

"That the ridges on Lake Erie mark tem- 
porary shore-lines of the lakes cannot well be 
doubted, for they are not related to any great 
natural lines of drainage, but follow the wind- 
ings of a definite level, receding from the lake 
wherever there is a transverse valley, and 
forming in some cases parallel embankments 
on either side of such valley, running inland 
as far as to the general level of the se- 
ries, and then returning on itself upon the 
other side, to strike off again parallel with 
the shore at the same level. Their relation 
to the lake is also shown by the local charac- 
ter of the material. It is usually such as 
would wash up on the shore out of the rock 
in place. In the sandstone region the ridges 
are largely made up of sand, mingled with 
fragments from the general glacial deposit. 
Over the regions of out-cropping shales, the 
ridges are composed largely of the harder 
nodules which have successfully resisted the 
attrition of the waves. Other evidences that 
they are shore-deposits are their stratification, 
the relative steepness of their sides toward the 
lake and the frequent occurrence of the frag- 
ments of wood buried at greater or less depths 
on their outer margin. 

It need not be said that there has been 
much speculation concerning the cause which 
maintained the waters of the lakes at the 
levels indicated by these ridges, and permitted 
them to fall from the level of one to that of 
another in successive stages, so suddenly as 
they seem to have done; for, from the absence 
of intermediate deposits, it is evident that the 
formation of one ridge had no sooner been 
completed than the one at the next lower 
level began to form. In the earlier stages of 
glacial investigation, before the full power 
and flexibility of glacial ice were appreciated. 



and before the exact course of the southern 
boundary of the ice-sheet was known, the 
elevation of the water to produce these ridges 
was supposed to have resulted either from a 
general subsidence of the whole region to the 
ocean level, or from the elevation of a rocky 
barrier across the outlet. Both these theories 
were attended with insuperable difficulties. 
In the first place, there is no such amount of 
collateral evidence to support the theory of 
general subsidence as there should be if it 
really had occurred. The subsidence of the 
lake region to such an extent would have left 
countless other marks over a wide extent of 
country; but such marks are not to be found. 
Especially is there an absence of evidences of 
marine life. The cause was evidently more 
local than that of a general subsidence. The 
theory of the elevation of a rocky barrier 
would also seem to be ruled out of the field 
by the fact that no other direct evidence can 
be found of such recent local disturbances. 
Such facts as we have point to a subsidence 
at the east rather than to an elevation. 

But a glance at the course of the terminal 
moraine, and at the relation of the outlets of 
these lakes to the great ice movements of the 
glacial period, brings to view a most likely 
cause for this former enlargement and increase 
in height of the surface of the lower lakes. It 
will be noticed that the glacial front near 
New York city was about too miles further 
south than it was in the vicinity of Buffalo. 
Hence the natural outlet to the great lakes 
though the Mohawk Valley would not have 
been opened until the ice-front over New 
England and Eastern New York had retreated 
to the north well-nigh 150 miles. A similar 
amount of retreat of the ice-front from its 
farthest extension in Cattaraugus county, in 
New York, would have carried it back thirty 
miles to the north of Lake Ontario, while a 
similar amount of retreat from eastern Ohio 
would have left nearly all the present bed of 
Lake Erie free from glacial ice. . With little 
doubt, therefore, we have, in the lake ridges 
of Upper Canada, New York and Ohio, evi- 
dence of the existence of an ice barrier which 
continued to fill the valley of the Mohawk, 



WHAT CAUSIW THE GREAT ST. LAWRENCE RIVER'? 



287 



and choke up the outlet through the St. Law- 
rence, long after the glacial front farther to 
the west had withdrawn itself to Canada soil. 
A study of these ridges may yet shed impor- 
tant light upon the length of time during 
which this ice barrier continued across the 
valley of the Mohawk. 

By the work of our local civil engineers in 
and about Jefferson county, it has been found 
that the gravel deposits and beds of water- 
worn pebbles found along the first escarpment 
of the Rutland Hills and the Dry Hills, so 
called, of Jefferson county, correspond in 
actual elevation with about 100 feet above the 
level of Lake Erie, and, therefore, quite prob- 
ably mark a shore-line of the same lake re- 
ferred to by Professor Wriglit, as marked by 
gravel ridges along the south shore of Lake 
Erie and as 100 feet above its level, and being 
caused by the damming up of both the St. 
Lawrence and the Mohawk River valleys. In 
this way we can also find a plausible theory 
for the formation of our own lower gravel 
ridges, in the fact that after the glacier front 
had receded farther, and the Mohawk Valley 
was opened as an outlet, the great inland lake 
was drawn down to a correspondingly lower 
level, and its waves and surface motion lashed 
a new shore-line, and gave us a new line of 
ridges and water-worn pebbles. 

The grooves and lines, and the polishing of 
the rocks in Jefferson county, show plainly 
that the general direction of the moving ice of 
this locality was in parallel lines with the gen- 
eral direction of the St. Lawrence River, only 
the ice was moving up-stream or to the'south- 
east. The streams and valleys of Jefferson 
and St. Lawrence counties also in general 
follow the same trend. The Oswegatchie 
and the Lidian Rivers flow first southwesterly 
and then, making a sharp turn, each flow 
back almost parallel with their former course 
and with the guiding trend of the St. Law- 
rence. Even the Grass and Raquette Rivers, 
further east, find themselves swung around 
into this general course. The same course is 
followed in the deep valley known as Rutland 
Hollow, about three miles east of the city of 
Watertown, and the Sandy Creek and Stony 



Brook in the southerly part of Jefferson 
county follow the same general course. The 
Black River itself, from the Great Bend to 
Watertown, takes the same course, and a val- 
ley now occupied by low, swampy land con- 
tinues the same direction to the lake, though 
the river itself, from Watertown city, takes a 
lower and shorter direction through rocky 
gorges to its present mouth at Dexter. 

During the period of this higher glacial lake 
the mouth of the Black River must have been 
near Carthage, and the great sand deposits in 
the towns of LeRay and Wilna, known as the 
Pine Plains, were probably the shoal water or 
sand-bar formation, such as usually occurs at 
the mouth of a stream where it enters a lake 
or sea. There was also, probably, a glacier 
coming down the Black River Valley and join- 
ing in, and following along with, the greater 
St. Lawrence Valley glacier, heretofore de- 
scribed, as moving to the south-west. The 
above fact is proven by the well-defined me- 
dial moraine, extending from near Carthage 
through near Tylerville and the towns of 
Rodman and Ellisburg, to the lake just south 
of Ellis village. This moraine is almost en- 
tirely of granitic stones and bowlders, the 
characteristic rock of the right bank of the 
Black River Valley, and the moraine itself 
from Carthage to the lake is exactly parallel 
with the St. Lawrence river. 

A glance at the map of the Thousand 
Islands shows the general outline of the 
islands to be long and narrow, and laid 
lengthwise of the river. An inspection of the 
rocks and ledges, and hills and valleys of the 
adjoining shores, and the surface of the 
islands themselves, develops the fact that all 
have followed the same law of direction. 

The ice age no doubt has wrought great 
changes in the present surface forms, and to 
its influence we may properly ascribe the 
rounded and smoothed surfaces of the hard 
rocks and ledges, but it is also probable that 
there was a general direction given when the 
Azoic and Laurentian rocks were cooled off 
from the great molten mass, and that the St. 
Lawrence Vallev, with its adjacent uplands, 
was an early and original form of the surface, 



288 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE R/I'ER. 



and that the direction of the glacier move- 
ment here was due to this original configu- 
ration. 

The parallelism, however, of the streams 
and valleys of the adjoining country, and the 
grooving and wearing off of the rocky pro- 



jections, and the filling up of old channels, 
and the depositing of long lines of stones and 
bowlders, foreign to the locality where they 
are found, and the depositing of large areas of 
sand-beds — all these, and many other features, 
are, beyond doubt, the work of a glacial age. 



THE TECHNIQUE OF FISHING. 



IN Governor Alvord's most interesting and 
instructive articles upon the Great River, 
he has much to say about the " men he has 
met," and he speaks of all of them more as 
beloved comrades than as mere acquaintances 
or as the passing visitors of an hour ; but he 
does not say much about the technique, the 
appliances, the methods of fishing. Ourself 
an amateur, we have not failed to seek infor- 
mation upon the points indicated; and, like 
all amateurs, we try to believe that there is 
some " royal road to learning," by pursuing 
which we may exceptionally " get there " 
without the labor and inconveniences of learn- 
ing by experience. From the great Izaak 
Walton himself down to our own day, and 
taking our distinguished Governor Alvord 
as one of the brightest teachers of modern 
times in all arts piscatorial, the methods, the 
little incidentals by which the agile water- 
denizens are lured into the voracious frying- 
pan, have been much disputed — this grand 
"faculty" of becoming an expert fisherman 
being as elusive, various, and sometimes as 
intricate as wooing one of the fair sex, whose 
moods are often as contradictory as are those 
of the most artful muscalonge or bass, and 
yet, when captured, are almost " too sweet 
for anything." From the crookedest tree- 
limb, with a piece of twine at its end, to the 
jointed and polished rod, with linen line and 
silver reel, the margin is wide and ex])ensive. 
The poorest and the best of these appliances 
have each won great renown, but generally in 
the hands of those who know how to use 
them, the fish being largely democratic, and 
as willing to take a wriggling worm from a 
pin-hook as from one of Skinner's best treble- 



arranged, feather-decorated devices. As in 
all good things, in fishing there are many 
methods ; but in all fishing, good bait is an 
indispensable adjunct. With it you feel as a 
soldier feels with a good gun in his hand ; it 
is his guaranty of probable success. 

The improvements in fishing tackle have 
been immense during the past forty years. 
In 1849, the writer saw the elder Walton, long 
since dead, at work upon spoons that could 
not now be given away — yet of those rude 
attempts he could disjDose readily of as many 
as he could put together. Chapman, at 
Theresa and Rochester, has made many beau- 
tiful and successful fishing appliances. But 
the most successful man in the business for 
the past ten years has been Mr. G. M. 
Skinner, of Clayton, whose goods are now 
known all over the United States and Canada. 
He began to study the art piscatorial upon the 
Great River itself, having been long a resident 
of Gananoque, Ontario, in his early youth. 
He finally located at Clayton, a place possess- 
ing some advantages not apparent to the 
superficial observer, among them being a 
prominent angling resort and , the principal 
gateway for tourists coming to the river over 
the only avenue on the American side, viz.: 
the N. Y. C. System, comprising the R., W. & 
O., and U. & B. R. R. R. It is the distribut- 
ing point for those desiring to reach, by 
water, the numerous islands and parks in its 
immediate vicinity, and, also, the fashionable 
resort, twelve miles down the river, of Alex- 
andria Bay. 

In this romantic and favored vicinity he 
served his apprenticeship ih fishing and ex- 
perimenting with all sorts, sizes and shapes of 



THE TECHNIQUE OF FISHING. 



291 



artificial baits obtainable. He was not content, 
but strove to construct a spoon for his own use, 
which should have decided advantages over 
any used. .•Vs a result of such effort, two 
corrugated or fluted spoons were made; one 
being given to a fishing companion, the other 
he retained for his own use. In numerous 
practical trials, these two spoons gave satis- 
factory evidence of having uncommon merit, 
notably in the capture, by his wife and self, 
of a muscalonge, measuring four feet eleven 
inches in length and weighing forty pounds. 

Mr. Skinner himself says: " I have been fre- 
quently asked, what I considered a spoon to 
represent, as revolving while fishing, and why 
are fish attracted by them to such an extent 
that they will seize them, even when unpro- 
vided with any other attraction save the glint 
of the cold metal. In reply, I offer those of 
an inquisitive turn my humble opinion that 
the motion or action of a revolving lure, un- 
questionably simulates or means, life^ — prey. 
to fish, and as a natural sequence, life means 
food — sustenance. " 

Mr. Skinner also relates the following: "A 
party from Clayton went to Hay Bay, Bay of 
Quinte, to fish for muscalonge. The water in 
Hay Bay is not very deep where the fish arc 
caught and the weeds come very near the sur- 
face. To prevent the trolling-spoon fouling, a 
gang of naked hooks is attached to the line some 



distance ahead of the spoon, which breaks off 
or pulls up the weeds and allows tlie spoon to 
go free. Messrs. D. Pratt and Edwin .Sey- 
mour, of Syracuse, were fishing in one boat. 
Mr. Seymour, in letting out line, felt a tug 
when the line was out but a few yards. Turn- 
ing he saw the water break where the naked 
hook was and commenced to haul in, finding 
he had caught a muscalonge upon the naked 
or weed-guard hook. 

" One of the party trolling with two hand 
lines caught a large pike under somewhat un- 
usual circumstances. The voracious fish had 
captured one troll and made a race for and 
secured the other, having both of them se- 
curely hooked in his mouth when hauled in. 

"A most unusual occurrence I would like 
to place on record. In August, J 883, Miss 
Annie Lee, at that time eleven years of age, 
while trolling near Clayton for bass, with a 
No. 3 gold fluted spoon, which size is fitted 
with a No. 2 hook, struck and successfully 
brought to boat a muscalonge weighing 
thirty-six pounds, measuring four feet six 
inches in length. In the effort to secure this 
large fish the guide's gaff was broken, show- 
ing the enormous strength of the fish, yet it 
was finally secured, brought in and exhibited 
with those slight hooks still fast in its capa- 
cious mouth — an evidence not only of good 
tackle, but of skillful handling." 




TWO OF G. M, SKINNKRS COMBINATION UAITS. 



CARLTON ISLAND IN THE REVOLUTION. 



[The following sketch of an historic spot in the St. Lawrence River, furnishes very interesting data, and 
will be read with pleasure by all tourists. It is from the pen of the Canadian Historian, Ernest Cruikshank, 
of Fort Erie, Ontario. This article is in no sense a duplication of a previous article upon the same subject, 
but contains much that is entirely new.] 



/^THE importance of maintaining a military 
T^ post on " Isle aux Clievreaux," as it was 
named by the French, variously translated by 
English traders as " Buck " or " Deer Island," 
was recognized by General Haldiraand immedi- 
ately after his arrival at Quebec to assume the 
ofifice of Governor-General. Traders for some 
years past had been in the habit of depositing 
their stores at this place until they could be 
re-shipped in the " King's vessels" for Niagara, 
and their batteaux received the peltry on its 
way from the " Upper Posts " to Montreal. 
It was the great " entrepot " of the fur trade 
since the decay and evacuation of Oswego. 
In this way merchandise valued at $100,000 
had been accumulated at this place, where it 
remained entirely unprotected, and exposed 
to attack daring the winter of 1777-8; mean- 
while of forty or fifty traders formerly estab- 
lished at Oswego, but one remained. 

In the summer of 1778, he accordingly 
despatched Capt. Thos. Aubrey with a detach- 
ment of the 47th Regiment to occupy the 
island, accompanied by Lieut. James Glenie 
of the Royal Engineers, who had instructions 
to construct a small fortification for the pro- 
tection of vessels and stores. It was intended 
as a general depot and base of supplies for all 
the posts above. He selected a site near the 
upper end of the island commanding the road- 
stead used by the vessels, and a small redoubt 
was traced which he called Fort Haldimand, 
in honor of the Governor, while the island 
was re-named " Carlton " after his distin- 
guished predecessor. 



The correspondence of Francis Goring, 
factor for George Forsyth at Niagara, gives 
stray glimpses of life on the island at this 
time. 

On the ist June, 1778, Archibald Cunning- 
ham writes to him: 

"There are upwards of forty canoes of In- 
dians on the ground at present, having come 
in the other day. Two small parties are now 
singing the war song, to go on a scouting 
party to Fort Stanwix, and the remainder 
wait for their presents." 

On the 2d August, Cunningham writes again : 

'' L. Parlow, sent by our commandant with 
a party to bring off his family and effects 
from Oswego, but on his arrival, found that 
his buildings had, about fourteen days be- 
fore, been burnt by the rebels, who took most 
of his effects, even the handkerchief from his 
lady's neck, and his son prisoner. Yet he 
had the good fortune to find they had missed 
his bag of piasters, two milch cows, his wife 
and two daughters, with which he made his 
retreat to this place." 

Aubrey's letters during Septeinber, detail 
the progress of the works, and some weeks 
later he reports liaving received and planted 
twenty apple trees. In December, the garrison 
was alarmed by the arrival of Indians from 
Onondaga with information that a body of 
Americans from Fort Stanwix was about to 
attack the island. A second message warned 
Aubrey that the enemy intended to occupy 
Oswego, but a scouting party sent to Fort 
Stanwix, returned with a prisoner who as- 



CARLTON fSLA.XI) IN THE RFA-QLUTION. 



293 



surod him that there w.is no triitli in this 
report. 

In May, Aubrey sailed for Niagara, and 
was succeeded in command by Capt. George 
McDougall, wiio on the i6th, chronicles the 
arrival of a scouting party with six scalps, 
having unhappily been obliged to kill two 
prisoners to enable themselves to evade cap- 
ture. 

A few days later he mentions that Hawton, 
Johnston and LaMothe, officers of the Indian 
De|)artment, had marched for Fort Stanwix, 
at the head of 140 warriors. A gunboat was 
employed in patroling the coast of the island, 
and the garrison were engaged in gardening 
on the " neck of land." A detachment of 
Sir John Johnson's Royal Regiment of New 
York had arrived, the works were being 
strengthened and every precaution taken 
against, surprise which there was all the more 
reason to fear since several men had recently 
deserted from the guard. 

On the 3d June, the scouts returned with a 
prisoner from Fort Stanwix. 

On the loth, James Clark writes to Gor- 
ing : " We are repeatedly alarmed by the 
enemy's scouts, who a few days ago took away 
two men from the island not one hundred 
yards from the fort, and at ten o'clock in the 
morning. Up the whole of last night by 
alarms." McDougall blamed the Indians for 
the negligent watch kept by them, and threat- 
ened to hold their chiefs responsible for this 
misfortune. A party sent in pursuit of the 
enemy returned without having overtaken 
them. 

About the ist of July, Captain McDougall 
was superseded by Major Nairne, who brought 
a strong reinforcement, having on his way up 
the river from Montreal, dismantled Osvvegat- 
chie and Fort William Augustus, and removed 
the serviceable cannon. 

In September, a considerable body of 
troops, consisting of detachments of the 34th 
Regt., Hanau Jagers, and the Royal Regt. of 
New York, intended for an expedition to the 
Mohawk River, was assembled here under Sir 
John Johnson. They were joined by two or 
three hundred Indians from Canada, com- 



manded by Capt. .'Mexander Fraser, and pro- 
ceeded to Oswego about the end of October, 
but returned almost immediately. 

Capt. Fraser succeeded to the command in 
November, having in the garrison two com- 
panies of Hesse-Hanau Jagers under Clount 
Wittgenstein, who had refused to work on the 
fortifications at Fort Niagara, besides detach- 
ments of the 34th and New York regiments. 

The winter of 1779-80 was memorable for 
its severity, but scouts were kept out, and the 
Indians performed this service cheerfully, 
''thanks to Tice and the Indian officers," 
Fraser wrote, " but chiefly to Molly Brant, who 
has more influence than all the chiefs put to- 
gether; insatiable in her demands for her own 
family, but checks the demands of others." 

A ship yard was established and a vessel 
larger than any yet afloat on the lake was 
built, and named the Ontario. 

In the spring, the partisan warfare was re- 
sumed with increased activity. On tlie 20th 
April, Fraser reported the arrival of Lieut. 
Crawford from Johnstown with seventeen 
prisoners, and in a few days he went out 
again with three other officers and seventy-one 
Indians. He returned about the ist of June 
with sixteen prisoners, taken near Canajo- 
harie. All parties sent out were accompanied 
by vifhite men, "distinguished loyalists who 
would be hung if caught." Thirty soldiers 
deserted in a body from Fort Stanwix. They 
were pursued and overtaken by a party of 
Oneidas in the American service. Fourteen 
were killed after a desperate resistance ; the 
remainder escaped and made their way to 
Carlton Island, where they immediately en- 
listed in Sir John Johnson's regiment. On 
the 2ist and 29th June, the return of scouts 
with scalps is recorded, but the commandant 
is busily engaged in clearing land for farming 
purposes. 

In September, Sir John Johnson touches at 
the island, when on his way to harry the Mo- 
hawk Valley, and Fraser laments that he is not 
allowed to accompany him on this errand of 
destruction. Scouts report a deserted land, 
with wheat unthreshed and Indian corn un- 
gathered. 



294 



A SOUJ'ENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



A detached house had been built near the 
barracks for Miss Molly (Brant), and upon 
taking possession of her new home she seemed 
" better satisfied than ever before." 

On the 30th of November, Major John 
Ross, of the 34th Regiment, arrived with 100 
men and assumed the command. The weather 
continued unusually fine for a month, and the 
new commander utilized it to strengthen the 
works until he was able to write " they cannot 
be stormed, and I hope never to be surprised." 

On the 30th of January, 1781, Crawford 
accompanied by Lieut. Arden, a young sub- 
altern of the 34th, went off on a scout to the 
Mohawk. After the absence of nearly a month 
they returned without a prisoner, all the in- 
habitants having shut themselves up in the 
forts. Crawford had made his way into one 
of these, from which all the men had run away, 
and learned from the women that there was 
no talk of an expedition against the island. 

In May, the same indefatigable partisan v.-as 
the first to discover that Fort Stanwix had 
been abandoned, and entered the place while 
the barracks were still smouldering. 

Ross relates that twelve Missassauga Indians 
led by David Van der Heyden, a soldier of 
Johnson's regiment, met and routed a party 
of twenty-five militia, killing Captain Ellsworth 
and two others and making three prisoners. 

In August, Crawford made another incur- 
sion to the Mohawk River, where he destroyed 
a mill and settlement fifteen miles below Fort 



Herkimer, driving a much superior number of 
militia into their forts. A spy named Jacob 
Servos, who succeeded in gaining the confi- 
dence of the enemy in the guise of a deserter, 
returned about the same time with valuable 
information, having visited every fortified post 
in the valley with one exception. 

Ross then planned a raid upon the settle- 
ment of Duanesboro', which he proposed to 
the Governor to lead in person. Permission 
having been secured, he sailed for Oswego on 
the 4th of October with 250 troops and sixty 
Indians, and was joined there by Captain 
Butler with 150 rangers and about 100 In- 
dians. Marching from Oswego on the iith, 
he made his way to the Mohawk River by a 
very circuitous route, and destroyed the flour- 
ishing settlement of Warrensboro', which iiad 
hitherto escaped the ravages of war. Pur- 
sued by Col. Willett, he was obliged to fight 
near Johnstown, and repulsed him. His rear 
guard was again attacked at the crossing of 
Canada Creek, where Captain Walter Butler 
was killed, but otherwise escaped with slight 
loss, and the force returned to Carlton Island 
on the 7th November. The winter passed 
uneventful, the garrison being occupied in 
building stockades and clearing land for cul- 
tivation. On the 15th April, 1782, Ross took 
])ossession of Oswego, leaving Captain Ander- 
son of tlie Thirty-fourth in command of Fort 
Haldimand, and there the record practically 
ends. 



THE ANGLERS' ASSOCIATION OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



Officers. 

President— H. H. Warner, Rochester, N. Y 

Ptrst Vice President — W.C. Browning, 408 Broome 
street, New York. 

Second I'ice-Presidenl—'H- R. Heath, 333 Wash- 
ington avenue, Brooklyn. N. Y. 

Secretary — W. H. Thompson, Alexandria Bjy, N. Y. 

Treasurer— 'R. P. Grant, Clayton, N. Y. 

Executive Committee. 
A. C. Cornwall, Alexandria Bay, N. Y.; G. H. 
Strough. Clayton, N. Y.; R. H. Pullman, Baltimore, 
Md.; W. T. Bascom, Alexandria Bay, N. Y.: G. T. 



Raferty, Pittsburg, Pa.; F. J. Amsden, Rochester, 
N. Y.; R. E. Waterman, Ogdensburg, N. Y. ; G. M. 
Skinner, Clayton, N. Y.: C. G. Emery, New York; 
O. T. Mackey, New York. 



The Material Benefits of Fish Protec- 
tion. 
The sole aim of the organizers of the An- 
glers' Association of the St. Lawrence River 
in 1883, was the preservation, protection 
and perpetuation of game fishing in the St. 




ROCK ISLAND Lir.HT HOUSE. NEAR FISHER'S LANDING. 



THE ANGLERS ASSOCIATION OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



297 



Lawrence River. Probably 
no one of the persons active 
in its organization had any 
other idea in view; but they 
builded better than they 
knew. 

At the time, matters on 
the St. Lawrence River 
were at a stand-still ; there 
were very few persons going 
there for the sake of the 
fishing, for the simple rea- 
son that, owing to the ac- 
tivity of the netters, it had 
been . almost destroyed. But 
a small number of the is- 
lands had cottages built 
upon them. There were a 
few people who passed 
down the river on tourists' 
tickets from Niagara Falls 
to Montreal, but there were 
no inducements for them to 
stop over on the way. Some 
of the anglers who had re- 
sorted to the river for many 
years for fishing still con- 
tinued their yearly visits. 
The organization of tlie 
Anglers' Association cre- 
ated a sort of excitment in 
reference to the possibilities 
to be accomplished by it, 
so that its members lived 
for two or three years upon 
faith, believing that the 
efforts of the Association in 
ridding the river of netters, 
would very soon have its 
effect in much better fish- 
ing. Its members continued 
to visit the river year after 
year, and to induce their 
friends to do the same. The 
results of the exertions of 
the Anglers' Association are 
now known to every one 
who is interested, and its 
efforts have been attended 




In Holiiiay' 
pouiKis, 



MT'SC^LONGE. 

CAUCIIT 1!V JAMES H. MANNING, OF ALBANY, N. Y., 

, Upper Bay, St. Lawrence River, on Monday, .August 31, 1S85. \Veight, ; 
Length, 4 feet and 6 inches. Girth, 19I4 inches. Spread of tail, i fool. 



298 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



with so great success that it is now possible, 
and has been for the last three years, for 
any angler to obtain all the game fish he 
desires. The object of the organization of 
the Association has thus been effected in part 
by increasing the supply of game fish in the 
river, and in part by ridding the river of the 
fish pirates. Its efforts in preventing net fish- 
ing will not be at all slackened, but will, on 
the contrary, be increased. 

The material benefits which have come from 
the efforts of the Anglers' Association of the 
St. Lawrence River have been entirely unex- 
pected, but they are, however, no less wel- 
come. As an object lesson which should be 
carefully read, marked and inwardly digested, 
the following facts are given, showing the 
material benefits which have come to Jeffer- 
son county from the organization of the An- 
glers' Association of the St. Lawrence River. 

Jefferson county, the county lying along the 
St. Lawrence River from Cape Vincent to a 
point fifteen miles below Alexandria Bay, cov- 
ering a distance of over forty miles, embracing 
the celebrated Thousand Islands, is naturally 
one of the most attractive regions in the 
country for the tourist and sportsman. Its 
exquisite river scenery, its banks and islands 
and its delightful air, leave nothing to be de- 
sired, if the fishing is good. 

There were in 1S94 about 600 persons em- 
ployed as oarsmen on the river; in 1883 there 
were perhaps a hundred. In 1894 there were 
about 250 employed in connection with steam 
and other boats ; in 18S3 there may have been 
thirty. There were last summer forty hotels, 
capable of accommodating 5,000 people. Six 
years ago the hotels could accommodate 
scarcely a thousand. Besides these there are 
now thirty boarding-houses, with a capacity 
of 500 guests ; there are between 600 and 700 
cottages used exclusively by summer residents. 



From $1,000,000 to $1,250,000 were spent on 
the river last summer by tourists, exclusive of 
railroad fares. A large and increasing busi- 
ness has also grown up in building steam 
yachts and the celebrated St. Lawrence skiffs. 

Here, then, is a veritable gold mine lying 
at the feet of Jefferson county, by which every 
resident of the county is benefited either by a 
reduction in his taxes, by being given employ- 
ment, or in his business. The population of 
Jefferson county is 66,000, every one of whom 
is constantly being benefited by the Anglers' 
Association. That is one side of the question. 
The other is tliis: there were during the net- 
ting season of 1888 about sixty or seventy 
persons engaged in illegal net fishing within 
the limits of the county, and of this number 
more than one-half were non-residents. When 
it is borne in mind that these net fishers do 
not make nearly as much if allowed to carry 
on their netting as ordinary farm workers, it 
will at once be apparent that Jefferson county 
could, as a business S[)eculation, afford to hire 
and pay them a fair salary to remain perfectly 
idle, and to pension them in their old age. 

The total tax assessed against the town of 
Alexandria (the central point on the river) 
was $ro,9o6.97, of which $2,35 1.28 was paid 
by summer property holders. In other words, 
nearly 22 per cent, of the taxes of the town 
of Alexandria was paid by summer property 
owners. The assessed value of sunmner hotels 
and island property in the town of Alexandria 
in 1888 was $256,000, the basis of assessment 
being one-third of the actual value, while the 
total amount assessed was $1,218,029. 

The organization of fish protection associa- 
tions accomplishes three distinct things, pro- 
tects the fish, furnishes the people with cheap 
fish food, and last, but not least, is of en- 
ormous material benefit to the surrounding 
country. 



^A^ 



THE PHANTOM MINNOW. 



299 



THE PHANTOM MINNOW. 



UV J. .Nr. CLARK. 



IN order to make bait-casting an independent 
sport and to jjlace it side by side with the 
beautiful and thoroughly scientific art of fly- 
casting, tlie fisherman should recognize very 
many artificial allures and improvised baits 
that can often be effectually used when indulg- 
ing in the fascinating pastime. The Phantom 
minnow is a taking allure for the salmon, 
brook trout and black bass, together with all 
members of the pike family. Its origin dates 
back ages and ages before the advent of mod- 
ern bait casting, and as it has maintained a 
reputation through all these years, we certainly 
can look upon it as a successful allure. But 
in order to make it a desirable bait to use in 
this sport, the construction should be some- 
what modernized. In this sport the fine silk 
line becomes a very prominent factor, and the 
great aim of the fisherman should be to keep 
the line in a perfect condition for casting the 
liait, and as the great effectiveness of this al- 
lure — same as the trolling-spoon — lays in the 
fact of its perfect spinning qualities, this very 
important feature in the construction should 
be most faithfully carried out by supplying it 
with ample swivel accommodation, that will 
make it a perfect spinner beyond all manner 
of doubt, so it will not twist or kink the cast- 
ing line. The original phantom is provided 
with three gangs of treble hooks, and many 
sportsmen who fully recognize the wonderful 
killing properties of this allure take exceptions 
to this feature of the construction, and right- 
fully object to it as a scientific angler's bait, on 
the ground of its giving the fish no show 
whatever. However, this again speaks well 
for the merits of the Phantom, and if we can 
smooth over this unfavorable feature in the 
construction, it will be admitted a practical 
bait has been secured. This can be accomp- 
lished by reducing the number of hooks and 
yet not harm the minnow a particle when used 



in connection with the scientific methods em- 
ployed by the modern bait caster. 

As a bait for the black bass, and particularly 
the large-mouth species, the meadow or grass 
frog is decidedly the par excellence of baits, 
and if the smaller specimen of this frog be 
used, the distinction between the large and 
small-mouth bass cannot be considered when 
recommending this allure. In fact, some of 
the largest catches of the small-mouth bass 
ever made were taken with the small meadow 
frog when using it as a casting bait. How- 
ever, it is sometimes difficult to obtain the 
frog even if the fisherman be convinced it is 
the best allure for the occasion, and if its pro- 
totype can be supplied in the form of the 
luminous artificial frog, the fisherman and bait- 
caster has decidedly scored another point in 
the shape of an independent allure. 

One reason why the use of artificial allures 
and improvised baits are frequently con- 
demned is owing to the fact of their not being 
properly worked, and the bait-caster should 
study this important feature very carefully, 
and aim to infuse a life-like motion to the al- 
lure. This being the case, a chapter of inter- 
est is added to the sport of angling, as the 
fisherman who is a skillful manipulator of 
artificial and improvised baits, and who makes 
a positive success of their use, will take more 
pleasure and pastime in the art of modern 
bait-casting than will the individual who fol- 
lows out a positive rule of using only the live 
minnow or the natural frog, as skill is added 
to 'skill when inanimate baits are introduced 
and made successful in this sport. 

In further following out our design to shed 
some slight light upon the methods pursued 
by experienced fishermen, we insert the fol- 
lowing well-written remarks upon "Minnow- 
Casting for Black Bass," by Dr. James A. 
Henshall, in "Clark's Anglers' Guide :" 



300 



A SOUJ'EN/R OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



" There are various ways and means of angling, 
each of which is satisfactory to its particular practi- 
tioners according to the light and experience they 
have had. And these ways and means are as diverse 
as those in other pursuits or pleasures. But the way 
to obtain the maximum amount of enjoyment in any 
[nethod, or way of angling, consists in the use of 
suitable means to that end. 

" Fly fishing cannot be satisfactorily practiced with 
a bait rod and a multiplying reel, nor can bait fish- 
ing be successfully pursued with a fiy rod, click reel 
and enameled line ; and while it is true that fish can 
be captured in either way, it is no less true that they 
can also be taken with the spear or net. 

" Coming at once to the caption of this article, 
minnow-casting for black bass can only be fully en- 
joyed by the use of suitable tackle. After years of 
patient and exhaustive experiments I demonstrated, 
to my own mind, that the most suitable rod for all 
the exigencies of minnow-casting should be eight 
feet three inches in length and eight ounces in 
weight, and of a degree of flexibility and resiliency 
that would admit of both casting the minnow and of 
playing the bass when hooked. This would, in 
short, mean a rod that in pliancy would come be- 
tween a trout bait-rod and a trout fiy-rod. This idea 
is now happily expressed in the Henshall rods of the 
best makers, who conform to the specifications fur- 
nished. Some makers, by ver)' careful selection of 
materials and excellence of construction, can reduce 
the weight to seven ounces in split bamboo. This 
naturally increases the cost of the rod, but to those 
wlio can afford it, it is money well spent. 

" While a stilT rod will, in some hands, cast a min- 
now as far, or farther, than a more pliable one, it is 
not so well adapted for playing a fish, or to diminish 
the strain on line or leader as the latter — and a rod 
that is too withy or flexible does not cast well nor 
give the angler much command over the fish. It is 
between these extremes, then, that one should 
choose. 

" In multiplying reels for minnow-casting the best 
is the cheapest, as the best is the most suitable; one 
that runs with the least friction, and is so finely ad- 
justed as to admit of the least amount of lost motion, 
is the one to use if the angler's purse will justify the 
expense, for it will cost as much as a good watch. 
Such a reel, with careful use, is cheap in the end, for 
it will answer as long as the angler is capable of fish- 
ing, and will do good service unto the second and 
third generation. 

"The line should be of silk, firmly and closely 
braided, not larger than size G, and preferably of size 
II. It should be neither oiled nor enameled. A 
line of this character will cling to the reel in uniform 
coils, will not absorb much water, and will cast 
almost as well wet as when dry. With a pliable rod 
the H line is strong enough for any black bass that 



swims, and is certainly the best for casting, and 
occupies less space on the reel than one of larger 
size. 

"As to hooks, the Sproat is best with the 
O'Shaughnessy a good second. As a rule, most 
anglers use too large hooks in bait fishing for black 
bass, many employing sizes as large as 3-0. The 
number 2 Sproat is large enough, and even smaller 
sizes may be used, and will be found much more 
satisfactory after a trial by those accustomed to larger 
hooks. The smaller the hook the less injurious to 
the live minnow; and so far as strength is concerned 
a number 4 Sproat will kill a thirty pound salmon. 
Hooks should be tied to single gut, ahvaj'S, in 
minnow-casting. 

" Usually no sinker is required beyond a small 
brass swivel, to which is to be affixed the snell at 
one end and the reel line at the other, no leader 
being used. If a sinker is found necessary to keep 
the minnow beneath the surface of the water, only 
the smallest size should be employed, and should be 
attached from six to twelve inches above the swivel. 

" In so brief an article as this it would be useless 
to fully describe the method of casting the minnow, 
and, moreover, the 'modus operandi' is pretty well 
understood at this day. The whole secret lies in 
' thumbing ' the spool of the reel in such a manner 
that just the right pressure is maintained to allow of 
the free running of the line, and at the same time to 
prevent its over-running or back-lashing. Wlien 
this can be done it is only a question of practice as 
to the length of the cast. The beginner should be 
satisfied with very short casts, say twenty feet, and 
use but little force in the effort. The endeavor 
should be to cast the minnow as delicatel)' as possi- 
ble, and to produce as little splashing upon its alight- 
ing on the water as may be, rather than to make 
long, noisy casts. 

" Whether wading the stream, or fishing from a . 
boat or the bank, the angler should make frequent 
caiys over the likeliest spots, allowing the minnow 
to sink to mid-water, between the bottom and the 
surface, and if the minnow is not very lively, to reel 
the line slowly, in order to keep it in motion. If 
there is no response within fifteen seconds, a new 
cast should be made, the minnow being reeled in 
slowly, and the rod, meanwhile, giving it a zig-zag 
motion to simulate somewhat the natural motions of 
a free minnow — it being premised that the bait is 
hooked through the lips. These directions apply to 
pools, or rather deep water near and over shoals, 
rocks, etc.; but when fishing riffles or shallow falls, 
the minnow should be kept on the surface, no sinker 
being used. 

" In the usual fishing seasons it is useless to fish 
waters of any great depth, say of more than twelve 
or fifteen feet. At other times, when the bass are 
near their winter quarters, or during excessive heats 




^ 



■'i\ 









lilG MUSCALONGE — 45-rOUNDER. 



THE SPORTSMAN'S SONG. 303 

of summer, they are found in deeper water — but I gimp — but tliis is not black-bass fishing. It should 

imagine that no true angler cares to fish for thcni bo the aim of every black-bass angler to elevate and 

under these circumstances. advance the art by employing light, elegant and 

"The bait should not be too large; minnows from suitable tools, tackle and appliances, and, in fact, to 

two and a half to three inches in length are about place it upon an equal plane with brook-trout fishing 

right for light tackle. If one is fishing for pike or as practiced in Canada, Maine and the Lake Superior 

pickerel, larger baits may be used, as the tackle will region. As to Catskill rods and the tiny trout 

likely be heavier, and the hooks larger and tied to streams, ' that,' as Kipling says, 'is another story.'" 



THE SPORTSMAN'S SONG. 

BY M.VURICE THOMI'SON. 

Ho! for the marshes, green with spring. 

Where the bitterns croak and the plovers pipe. 
Where the gaunt old heron spreads his wing 

Above the haunt of the rail and snipe; 
For my gun is clean and my rod's in trim 

And the old, wild longing is roused in me- 
Ho! for the bass-pools cool and dim — 

Hoi for the swales of the Kankakee 

Is there other joy like the joy of a inan 

Free for a season with rod and gun, 
With the sun to tan and the winds to fan. 

And the waters to lull, and never a one 
Of the cares of life to follow him, 

Or to shadow his mind while he wanders free ? 
Ho! for the currents slow and dim! 

Ho! for the fens of the Kankakee! 

A hut by the river, a light canoe, 

My rod and my gun, and a sennight fair — 
A wind from the south and the wild fowl due — 

Be mine! All's well! Comes never a care! 
A strain of the savage fires my blood. 

And the zest of freedom is keen in me; 
Ho! for the marsh and the lilied flood! 

Ho! for the tarns of the Kankakee! 

Give me to stand where the swift currents rush, 

With my rod all astrain and a bass coming in. 
Or give me the marsh, with the brown snipe aflush, 

And my gun's sudden flashes and resonant din; 
For I'm tired of 'he desk and tired of the town. 

And I long to be out, and I long to be free. 
Ho! for the marsh! with the birds whirling down! 

Ho! for the pools of the Kankakee! 



>A. 



GANAINOQUE PAST AND PRESENT. 



/TjHk' HK pleasant village of Ganano(iue, with a 
1 poinilalion of about four thoLisand souls, 
situated on the north shore of the St. Law- 
rence, opposite Clayton, and at the outlet of 
Gananoque River, is a place of no small im- 
portance as a manufacturing center. It has 
an excellent water power, aggregating many 
hundreds of horse-power, much more of which 
might be utilized for manufacturing purposes. 
As a place of summer resort, it possesses 
exceptional advantages in the way of locality. 
Its position at the foot of the "Admiralty 
Group " of islands, in which is " Bostwick 
Channel," the finest in many respects of any 
of the island channels in the river (the entire 
group being made up of islands in themselves 
exceedingly picturesque), is, in its entirety, 
one of great beauty and attractiveness. Al- 
ready cottages are erected on many of the 
islands, and as the great desirableness of the 
locality becomes better known, the number of 
these cannot fail to increase; and still more 
so, if the present very unjust and inconsistent 
policy of the Ottawa government should be 
modified, as, indeed, it should be for the 
benefit of the village of Gananoque itself. 

The name "Gananoque" is evidently of 
Indian origin; but which of two Indian names 
as first applied to the locality is to be consid- 
ered as having given rise to the present name, 
is a matter of some doubt. The original or- 
thography o the word was " Cadanoryhqua," 
meaning the " Place of Health," or what was 
evidently a synonymous phrase " Rocks-Seen- 
Under-Running- Water," both of which are 
descriptive of the locality, so far as physical 
conditions and a natural fact are concerned. 
On the other hand, the Hurons called the 



place "Gananoqui," which means "The 
Place of the Deer." Another tribe translates 
their term to mean "A meadow rising out of 
the waters," so that the real source from which 
the present name is derived is a matter of 
some doubt. Be that as it may, the Missis- 
sauga name " Cadanoryhqua " was for several 
years retained in official documents, and it 
was not until after the year 1800 that the 
name '"Gananoque" came into use. At the 
time of the survey of Leeds, the name of 
the Gananoque River was changed to " The 
Thames," but it never was generally used; in 
fact it only appears in a proclamation of Lord 
Dorchester (Sir Guy Carlton) while for the 
second time Governor-General of Canada, in 
178S. 

From the variety and extent of its manu- 
facturing interests, Gananoque has been, not 
inaptly, named the Birmingham of Canada, 
and as a settlement has now entered upon 
the second century of its existence. A brief 
sketch of its early settlement may be of some 
interest to the general reader, and is therefore 
subjoined. Two men. Sir John Johnson, an 
officer of the British army during the War of 
the Revolution, at which time he commanded 
an organization of loyalists popularly known 
as " Johnson's Royal Greens," and Colonel 
Joel Stone, were the first to receive grants of 
land which covered the entire limits of the 
village, and more, as it now stands. Of these 
two, Col. Stone was the first settler, coming 
up the river from Cornwall in the summer of 
1792, taking passage in a batteau which was 
bound to Kingston. These grants of land 
were made in 1792, and the patent to Col. 
Stone was issued December 31, 1798, and 



GANAN0(2UE— PAST AND PRESENT. 



307 



covers "A certain triangular tract upon the 
River Cadanoryhqua," etc., which was located 
on the west side of the river. Sir John John- 
son's tract was located on the east side of the 
river, but his patent was not issued until May 
17, 1802. Each grant extended to the center 
of the Gananoque River, then known by its 
Indian name as above. 

Col. Stone's patent was computed to con- 
tain 700 acres of land, to which were added, 
later, two additional patents of 200 acres each, 
making in all 1,100 acres; while Col. John- 
son's grant covered 1,534 acres. At the time 
of Col. Stone's arrival, a Frenchman, named 
Carey, lived on Tidd's Island, now Fremont 
Park, with whom he formed a temporary part- 
nership, erecting a shanty on the mainland, on 
the point now occupied by a lumber yard. 
Having secured a couple of cows, their shanty 
was opened as a house of entertainment, being 
the first tavern for many miles along the Cana- 
dian shore of the St. Lawrence. During the 
absence of the proprietors one day, the hotel 
burned and the partnership ended, each of 
them entering into business for himself. Mr. 
Stone proceeded to clear a plot of land on 
what is know King street, on which he erected 
a log-house, it being, with the exception of 
the shanty above spoken of, the first house 
erected in Gananoque. His next enterprise 
was the building of a schooner of forty tons 
measurement, called the " Leeds Trader," 
which ran on the lake and river for many 
years. Then he built a saw-mill, which stood 
on the site of the present Electric Light Com- 
pany's building; following that with a frame 
house of two stories in height, fastened with 
wrought nails brought from England. It was 
erected in 1796, and for half a century it 
was known as the " Red House," having been 
painted that color. This was built on the 
point near where the upper end of the lumber 
yard wharf is now. Where the steel and wire 
sho|5 now is, Mr. Stone built another frame 
house, known as the " Yellow House," and 
which became his residence, after his 
marriage to Mrs. Dayton. Later, he built a 
long, low frame house with a veranda along 
its entire front, just west of the " West End 



Store," which he made his residence as long 
as he lived. The building was burned only 
thirteen years ago, and the lot where it stood 
is yet vacant. In 1852, the late John Bulger 
tore down the " Red House," and the frame 
was re-erected on Garden street. It is the 
house now occupied by Mr. James Beatty. 
The "Yellow House " was burned in 1850. 

Col. Stone was evidently a man of great 
energy, and was unceasing in his efforts to im- 
prove his holdings, keeping all the time an 
eye to the " main chance," as did his ances- 
tors, and as he himself had been trained to do 
in the school of actual business. His proce- 
dure was in direct contrast with that of Sir 




ci,ii.. sroxE. 
(Kindly loaned iis by Mr. Kritlon, editor " Recorder." ) 

John Johnson, who paid no attention what- 
ever to his estate, only through an agent; in 
fact, it is a question whether he ever visited 
his possessions in person, so that to Col. Stone 
belongs all the honors of a first settler; and 
hence a brief biographical sketch may prove 
interesting. 

Joel Stone was born in Guilford, Connecti- 
cut, August 7, 1749. Before he was two 
years of age, his father removed to Litchfield, 
where, " by indefatigable labor and industry, 
he improved a competency of land of which 
he was proprietor." During his minority, 
Joel labored on the "competency,'' but when 
he became of age, he adopted _ a more active 



3oS 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



mode of life, and became a travelling mer- 
chant; or, in the vernacular of those days a 
"Yankee peddler." Within three years he 
travelled over very nearly the whole of the 
then settled portions of the country, return- 
ing with a large amount of property. In 
1774, he entered into a mercantile partner- 
ship with Jabez Bacon, of Woodbury, Conn., 
their articles of copartnership binding them 
for six years as copartners in " Merchandizing 
and all things thereto belonging; and in buy- 
ing, selling, vending and retailing all sorts of 
goods, wares and commodities whatsoever." 
These articles of copartnership are yet in ex- 
istence. This partnership flourished, and the 
partners became wealthy; but the breaking 
out of the Revolutionary War ended the 
partnership and one of them assumed the 
hazards and glories of a military life. 

Mr. Stone attempted for a time to remain 
neutral and trade with both parties, though 
his sympathy was with the Royalists. But he 
was soon obliged to declare himself for one 
side or the other. To remain neutral, was to 
bj suspected by both, and in 1776 he was 
|)LTemptorily ordered by the officials of Con- 
gress to declare immediately whether he would 
take up arms against the British government, 
or furnish a substitute. He refused to do 
either; and being warned that he would be 
called to a strict account, he fled hurriedly to 
New York, which was then held by the British 
forces, and which lie reached in safety; and 
on the 20th of June, 1777, he was enrolled in 
Governor Wentworth's command, by a com- 
mission dated April 16, 177S. He recruited 
fifty-four men or nu)re for two years' service, 
under command of Sir William Howe. He 
went on this mission to Huntington, Long 
Island, where he was surprised while asleep 
and taken prisoner, May 12, 177S, by a com- 
pany of whaleboat men, and conveyed to 
Fairfield, Connecticut. He was held in close 
custody and charged with high treason. But 
he managed to escape on the 23d of July, and 
a week later was back on Long Island. 

In the meantime, the selectmen, the con- 
stables, bailiffs, and the courts of Connecticut 
had been attending to the property left there 



by Mr. Stone when he fled to New York. By 
due process of law, as it then obtained, his 
real and personal estate was confiscated, and 
the proceeds, after deducting costs, were ren- 
dered for benefit of the State. Not only did 
the magistrates and County Court adjudicate 
in the matter and issue executions, but the 
Probate Court was also called into operation, 
as dealing with the effects of one who was de- 
scribed in the inventory as " politically dead." 
The personal property thus escheated appears 
by the returns to have amounted to ^491 : 6: 9, 
''at the rate of twenty-eight shillings for an 
English guinea, or six shillings for a Spanish 
milled dollar." The real estate was appraised 
under oath at ^354: 13; o. One piece of 
land, in which Mr, Stone had a one-half inter- 
est, in the township of Winchester, was not 
included, for the reason, probably, that his 
pursuers had no knowledge of it. According 
to Mr. Stone's own statement, the firm of 
Bacon & Stone had a capital of ^p/," 12,000 ster- 
ling in stock; and that in addition to his share 
of that, his books, bonds and all his personal 
effects were confiscated. 

During his residence in New York, Mr. 
Stone formed an acquaintance with the family 
of William Moore, a sea captain, and on tlie 
23d of March, 17S0, he was married to Leah 
Moore, the captain's daughter. The mar- 
riage ceremony was celebrated by Rev. Charles 
Inglis, who was then rector of Trinity church, 
New York. 

In addition to his pension, Mr. Stone, in 
common with all who had served the King in 
the Revolutionary War, was entitled to a 
grant of land. And after his arrival at Que- 
bec, he endeavored by inquiries and personal 
investigation to ascertain what would be the 
most suitable locality. 

Mr. Stone settled in Cornwall with his 
family, then consisting of his wife, his son, 
William Moore Stone, and his daughter, Mary. 
He purchased some land at Cornwall, and ex- 
pected to draw 800 or 1,000 acres besides. 
He erected a dwelling and still house, and 
otherwise endeavored to provide a permanent 
home. But he was unable to secure as much 
land as he wanted. Most of it had been pre- 



GANANOQL'E — PASr AM) PRI-SI-IXT. 



3'i 



empted before he arrived, and he was, there- 
fore, compelled to come further towards the 
west in search of unclaimed territory. He went 
to Quebec and spent some time in an effort to 
secure all the land along the Gananoque River. 
But Sir John Johnson brought sufficient influ- 
ence to bear upon the government to cause a 
compromise of claims. It was decided that Sir 
John should be awarded all the land on the east 
side of the Gananoijue River, and Mr. Stone 
all on the west side, the boundary of each to 
be the center of the river. Just when this 
decision was arrived at is not set down. But 
Mr. Stone took possession of his portion in 
1792, and the patent was issued six years later. 

In 1791, Col. Stone went to Connecticut 
with his two children, William and Mary, 
whom he placed at school in Hartford, having 
previously placed a son at school in Montreal. 
Leah, his wife, died at Cornwall, about 1793, 
but the exact date is not known. In 1798, 
Mr. Stone, who had then been five years a 
widower, and had established himself at 
Gananoque, decided to marry a second time, 
and made formal proposal to Mrs. Abigail 
Dayton, widow, who lived in the township of 
Burford, in Upper Canada. 

Suffice it to say, that the wooer prosecuted 
his suit with vigor, and in time, the fair ob- 
ject of his affections surrendered at discretion, 
but not in haste. They were married in the 
summer of 1799, removing to the residence of 
Col. Stone, at Gananoque. 

From that time on, the particulars of Mr. 
Stone's life are so much a part of the progress 
and growth of Gananoque as to belong more 
properly to the history of the town. He filled 
numerous offices both under the government 
and by local appointment. He was the first 
Collector of Customs; a Commissioner, or 
Justice of the Peace; Chairman of the Court 
of General Sessions of the Peace for the 
Johnstown District; Commissioner for ad- 
ministering the oath to half-pay officers; Re- 
turning Officer at County election of Member 
of Parliament in 1812; a member of the Land 
lioard for District of Johnston, established in 
1819 for locating settlers; and Road Overseer 
|()]- the Township of Leeds. 



By a commission dated 3d January, 1809, 
under the hand and seal of Francis Gore, 
Lieut. -Governor of Upper Canada, he was 
appointed colonel in the 2d Regiment of 
Militia for the County of Leeds, and was 
thereafter known as Colonel Stone. This 
office he resigned in January, 1822. 

Three children were born to Mr. Stone 
during the life of his first wife. His eldest 
son William, who is referred to as " Billy " in 
Mr. Stone's letters, grew to maturity at 
Gananoque, assisting in the general affairs of 
his father, and for a time holding the position 
of Deputy Collector of Customs. He died in 
1809, aged twenty-eight years. 

In the fall of 1S33, the Colonel caught a 
severe cold, and died on the 20th November, 
in the eiglity-fifth year of his age. Mrs. Stone 
survived him by nearly ten years, and died 
August 4, 1S43, in her ninety-third year. 

The events of his settlement in Gananoque 
have already been alluded to, but we will add 
one brief letter, which sets forth the energy 
and thrift of Col. Stone, better by far than 
any description could: 

Mo.NTREAI., i6ih July, iSoi. 

My Dear: — I received your letter dated the next 
d.iy after I left home, 71I1 June, about three days 
past by mere accident. I marlc well the contents 
tliereof. approve of what you have done, and must 
with pleasure submit to your own wisdom to do as 
you tliintc best until I can get home, which I do not 
intend shall be long, but I have not yet been able 10 
deliver any of iny boards and plank. Andrew, 
William and David will sett off to-morrow morning 
with tlic boat loaded with the following packages 
and articles agreeable to [he enclosed bills: One 
large cask wine, two trunlvs, one small trunk, the 
bo.K or chest, two barrells, two kegs (one best Made- 
ira wine, one cider vinegar), one cask nails, two 
small bales, one shovel, one spade. Enclosed I 
send you four keys, one to each of the trunks, and 
one to the chest. Please to be careful in unpacking 
the pork barrel. It has a bottle of castor oil and a 
phial of pickery roped up in the blankets. 

In the barrels, and in your chest, you wdl find a 
number of articles we had on board the raft, two or 
three axes, &c., and you will find tobacco and snulF 
(viz.), 2 lbs, snufTonly; also Bohea tea in one of the 
casks, and Flyson tea in one of the large trunks. 
The Bohea lea is 6s. per lb. in case you sell any, and 
the tobacco 3s. Please to put the tobacco in some 
moist place. 



312 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RH-ER. 



The other articles I have marked the price to sell 
at in the bills in my own hand writing. I need not 
caution you to sell (or cash only, except where wo 
owe and to pay for what we must buy. The large 
cask of wine may be very good to drink as wine and 
water, and you may sell it at sspergallon if you can, 
but I bought it with a view of making vinegar only. 
I gave IS per gallon for it. The articles in the large 
trunk where the flyson tea is are not marked, nor is 
the bill sent. You will find Turlington's drops in 
the trunk where the Hyson tea is, which you may 
sell at 5s per bottle, but those in the pork barrel, 
large phials keep for jour own use. You will set 
the people at work as 3'ou find most necessary until 
I get home. I must, if possible, bring down another 
raft this season. Old Mr. Chaple will be up again 
as soon as he has done visiting his friends. 

I am my dear in great haste, with a very bad pen 
and ink and mj- best exertions, 

Your most affectionate, 

J 01a. Stone. 

For much of the matter relating to Col- 
Stone, we are indebted to Freeman Britton, 
Esq., editor of the '' Gananoque Reporter." 

So far as the improvement of his water- 
power was concerned. Col. Stone did but little 
towards it, leasing it finally to his son-in-law, 
Ciiarles McDonald, who, in 1812, began to 
carry on an extensive business. He built a 
saw-mill, and a small grist-mill, and engaged 
largely in the lumber trade, shipping large 
quantities to Quebec, and also supplying the 
governinent with sliip timber, several war 
vessels being on the stocks at Kingston, at 
that time. In 1817, Chas. McDonald was 
joined by his brother John, and later by an- 
other brother Collin; and in 1826, the firm of 
" C. & J. McDonald and Brother " erected 
the largest flouring mill in the Province. To 
stipply this mill, grain was brought in schoon- 
ers from the West; and owing to its capacity 
of 250 barrels per day, was for many years 
enabled to supply one-quarter of all the flour 
received at Montreal. The flour was sent 
down in batteaux and Durham boats, a bat- 
teau load being from 150 to 200 barrels, 
while a Durham boat carried 450 barrels. 
The forwarding business at that time was in 
the hands of H. & S. Jones. The block 
houses built at Gananoque, and on Chimney 
Island, were built for the government by 
Charles McDonald. 



The first store in Gananoque was opened in 
1S12 by Chas. McDonald, and the McDonalds 
also built the first church in the place. It 
was free for all denominations, and was erected 
in 1832. Some four or five years later, the 
Methodists erected a small wooden building 
on the site of the present church. This de- 
nomination furnished the first regular services 
in the village. The first resident minister was 
Rev. William Carson. Among the first settlers 
of the village was Ephraim Webster, who was 
afterward collector of customs at Brockville. 
In 183 1, the steamer William IV was built at 
Gananoque by a joint stock company. This 
was the steamer tha* the noted Bill Johnston 
and his followers attempted to capture during 
the so-called Patriot war, by stretching a 
chain across a narrow channel between two 
islands. The attempt failed, btit was suc- 
cessful as to the Sir Robert Peel, related else- 
where. 

The writer's acknowledgments are due to 
his honor the mayor and several aldermen for 
many favors in the way of information af- 
forded, but especially to the Hon. C. E. Brit- 
ton, whose interest in the welfare of his town 
is strong and abiding. 

In concluding this brief sketch of the early 
history of Gananoque, the writer desires to 
add, that steps are now being taken to build 
an electric railway from that village to the 
city of Kingston. In fact there is at this 
writing a bill before Parliament asking for an 
act of incorporation, which will no doubt be 
granted. Its situation, its water power, its 
commercial opportunities, its manufacturing 
privileges, entitle Gananoque to a population 
of fully 15,000 souls; and this it cannot fail to 
realize, unless its leading citizens, by injudi- 
cious acts, shall retard the onward march of 
improvement, and paralyze progress. A great 
number of lakes in its rear not only guarantee 
the perpetuity of its water power, but make 
the village the gateway to the finest fishing 
and hunting grounds in America. That Gan- 
anoque is destined to become one of the 
thriving cities of the St. Lawrence region 
admits of but slight doubt. 

A brief biographical sketch of the other 



GANANOOUE— PAST AM) I' RES EXT. 



3'5 



grantee to the lands which constitute the 
present site of Gananoqiie, may prove inter- 
esting to the reader. We refer, of course, to 
Sir John Johnson, Bar't. 

This distinguished Loyalist was the only 
son of Sir William Johnson, by his first wife, 
Catherine AVisenberg. He was born at his 
father's residence on the Mohawk River, 
November 5, 1743. Me was educated in 
England, and while on a visit to the mother 
country, November 22, 1765, was knighted 
by George III in his father's lifetime as a 
mark of favor to the father. He married 
Mary Watts, daughter of the Hon. John 
Watts, of His Majesty's Council, June 30, 1773, 
and on the death of his father he succeeded to 
Tohnson's Hall, and large landed estates on 
the Mohawk, twenty-four miles from Schenec- 
tady, and to his father's rank of major-general 
in tlie New York militia. 

It was only natural that a family which 
had received so many favors from the crown, 
should remain loyal; and hence the distrust 
with which his every act was viewed, leading 
to the exaction of pledges for his future con- 
duct, which he, of course, refused to give. 
Learning that steps liad been taken to ajipre- 
hend him, he summoned a number of his 
tenants and some of his neighbors who sym- 
pathized with him, and together they fled to 
Canada. On his arrival, he was at once ap- 
pointed a colonel in the British service, and 
proceeded to organize a corps of two battalions 
which was known as the " Royal Regiment of 
New York," and as the " Queen's Loyal 
Americans; " but popularly, the corps was 
known as " Johnson's Royal Greens." This 
regiment formed a part of the force under the 
command of Lieut. -Col. Barry St. Leger, in 
his campaign against Fort Stanwix (now 
Rome, N. Y.), the defeat of whom did not in 
the least diminish his intense bitterness against 
his neighbors in the Mohawk Valley, whose 
domains he ravaged with fire and sword in 
1780, though defeated at Fox's Mills, and 
forced to make a hasty, if not inglorious re- 
treat. 

On the 14th of March, 1782, he was ap- 
pointed "Commissioner," "Superintendent- 



General,"' and '■ Inspector-General," of the 
Six Nations and their confederates, and of all 
the Indian Nations inhabiting the Province of 
Quebec and the Frontiers, a position which 
he held for many years. .At the close of the 
war he settled in Canada, where he received 
grants of land from the crown, and where, in 
addition to other offices, held liy him, he was 
colonel of the six militia battalions of the 
eastern townships of Lower Canada, and a 
member of the Legislative Council. 

During his long and busy life, the baronet 
had no fixed abode, but resided at Montreal, 
Lachine, Kingston, etc., as his fancy dictated. 
He had a shooting box at a spot called 
" Mount Johnson," in the county of Iberville, 
and a country seat at Twickenham, England. 
He died at the residence of his daughter, 
Mrs. Bowers, in the city of Montreal, January 
4, 1830, in the eighty-ninth year of his age. 



The manufacturers of Gananoque are as 
follows : The Gananoque Carriage Co., which 
has a branch at Brockville; the Thousand 
Island Carriage Co., both of which turn 
out a large number of handsome vehicles; 
Mr. George Gillies, manufacturer of bolts and 
nuts and saddlery hardware; Parmenter & 
Bullock, manufacturers of rivets, wire nails 
and a variety of small articles ; the Ontario 
Wheel Company, which turns out an immense 
number of carriage-wheels annually; the St. 
Lawrence Steel and Wire Company, manufac- 
turers of corset steels, crinoline steels and 
articles of that nature. The next is the Elec- 
tric Light Station, one of the most complete 
stations of any town its size anywhere. Cross- 
ing the railway bridge, you come to to Cowan 
& Britton, manufacturers of nails, hinges, 
butts and special articles in iron and steel; 
O. D. Cowan manufacturer of clothes wring- 
ers, harrows and electrical fixtures; Skinner & 
Co., manufacturers of hanies, snaths and 
wooden goods; Gananoque Spring and Axle 
Company, manufacturers of carriage springs 
and carriage axles on a large scale; the D. F. 
Jones Manufacturing Company, manufactur- 
ers of spades and shovels; Gananoque Furni- 
ture Company, manufacturers of furniture of 



3i6 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



all descriptions; Gananoque Roller Flour Railway Com[;aiiy, makes connections witli 

Mill; Mitchell &: Wilson, planing mills and all passenger trains east and west on the G. T. 

contractors; O. V. Goulette, turned wooden R., and one of the most convenient points for 

goods of all descriptions; Thousand Island Chicago and the west. 





THE " NEW ISLAND WANDERER. 

BeIono-5 to the Thousand Island Steamboat Company, makins Daily Escur^inns among the Islands. Steamer " Island Bell," of same line, 

makes daily trips to Ogdensburg. 



BROCKVILLE, 



THE GATE-CITY TO THE THOUSAND ISLANDS. 



UST at the foot of the Thousand Islands, 
126 miles west of Montreal, and fifty 
miles east of Kingston, stands the beautiful 
town of Brockville. Its history is one of inter- 
est, as being one of the oldest towns in 
Ontario, and as one which has not stood still, 
but has made a steady progress, a solid sub- 
stantial growth, in step and cadence with 
modern improvement. The modern " booms," 
with their consequent reaction, have never been 
inflicted upon Brockville, and in consequence 
it has felt none of the enervating influences 
sequent upon periods of undue inflation. 

In 1784, one hundred and eleven years ago, 
Adam Cole, having left the United States, and 
being still desirous of remaining under the 
I)roteclion of the British flag, to which he 
deemed his allegiance due, sailed up the St. 
Lawrence, and landed on the site of the pres- 
ent city of Brockville; but from the fact that 
to him the land seemed rough and uninviting, 
he pushed on to a point six miles above, and 
finally settled at what is now known as Cole's 
Ferry. In the following year, another entliu- 
siastic U. E. Loyalist, William Buell, located 
on the lot where a large part of the western 
portion of the city now stands. Shortly after- 
ward, Charles Jones, following in the footsteps 
of his predecessor, took up the adjoining lot 
on the east. These first settlers were of 
course subjected to all the inconveniences in- 
cident to pioneer life; but in a short time the 
little settlement became a distributing point 
for government stores, which were supplied 
to settlers in the shape of provisions and im- 
[)lements, and quite soon it sprang into some 
prominence, and began to grow. 



The surrounding townshij) was named 
Elizabethtown, and for a number of years the 
village was known by that name, and also by 
the name of Buell's Bay. Finally, the resi- 
dents began to favor a more dignified title, 
and then no little difference of opinion arose 
concerning the name of the place, which, as 
is almost always the case, resulted in a pa- 
tronymic bestowed by outsiders, which was 
far more expressive as to fact, than conducive 
to dignity. Mr. Buell and his friends were 
extremely desirous of naming it " Williams- 
town," in honor of AVilliam Buell, the first 
settler. On the other hand, Mr. Jones and 
his adherents, insisted that " Charlestown '" 
should be the name, after Mr. Charles Jones; 
and between the factions such a strife was 
engendered, and so bitter was this miniature 
war of the rival roses, that the outlying resi- 
dents becoming disgusted with the endless 
bickerings, incontinently bestowed the nick- 
name of " Snarleytown " upon the place, which 
adhered to it for a long time. 

In 181 1, however, a new system of grand 
tactics was introduced into the local war, and 
Mr. Buell demonstrated his ability as a tac- 
tician by having his property surveyed and 
laid out into town lots, setting aside ground.^ 
for a public square, court-house, etc., of whicli 
he had a map published on which was duly 
set forth desirable properties for sale, thus in- 
augurating for that day and age a veritable 
approach to the modern "boom," or, at all 
events, as near to one as Brockville has ever 
experienced. Desirous of becoming a large 
landed proprietor, Mr. Jones was averse to 
disposing of his property in like manner, and 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



therefore practically acknowledged that he 
was out-generaled, but he was by no means 
defeated. The factions grew and multiplied 
in numbers, and the feud in intensity, for a 
decade, until it seemed a foregone conclusion 
that " Snarleytown " was likely to become 
the permanent designation of the locality. 
Finally, in 182 r, Governor-General Sir Isaac 
Brock, being in the place, the dispute was re- 
ferred to him, and he immediately settled the 
difficulty by bestowing his own name upon 
the place. It was a happy thought, and like 



schooner Julia, and two British vessels, the 
Earl of Moira and the Duke of Gloucester, 
had an engagement opposite the town, which 
lasted for three hours, ceasing by mutual con- 
sent when darkness came on, neither party 
having suffered any material damages ; — an 
emphatic and significant comment upon the 
skill of both parties in the use of artillery. On 
the night of the 6th of February, 1813, Capt. 
Forsyth, of the Rifles, then commandant at 
Ogdensburg, marched up the river to Morris- 
town, and, crossing on the ice, took posses- 




I.OOKING EAST FROM ARCADE, WATERTOWN, N. Y , SHOWING SNOW OF WINTER 1894-95. 



pouring oil upon troubled waters, it calmed 
the storm by satisfying the contending fac- 
tions, who merged their differences into 
" Brockville," a name ever since retained, and 
one to be proud of. As an old resident of 
the city remarked to the writer: "It was a 
shrewd exemplification of the fable of the 
monkey, the cats and the cheese — but if 
worked well and satisfied all parties." 

During the war of 1812-15, Brockville was 
often the scene of lively operations. On the 
29th of July, 1812, the United States armed 



sion of the town, capturing several of its 
prominent citizens, and releasing several pris- 
oners from the jail, most of whom were Ameri- 
cans who had been taken prisoners and con- 
fined there. It is related that Capt. Forsyth 
refused to release a prisoner who was incar- 
cerated on a charge of murder; but in his de- 
fense his counsel sought to win a point in his 
favor by establishing the fact that, while he 
might have escaped, he would not, thus creat- 
ing a strong inference of his innocence. He 
was, nevertheless, convicted and hanged. 



THE BROCKVILLE OF TO-DAY. 



y-i 



Fifty-two prisoners, with a large amount of 
stores and ammunition, was the result of the 
capture of Brockville, and an equal number of 
American prisoners was the result of a re- 
prisal which immediately followed, in which 
Capt. Forsyth was badly beaten at Ogdensburg 
by the Canadian volunteers under Capt. Mc- 
Donnell, who, in addition to the prisoners, cap- 
tured a large amount of military stores, several 
pieces of artillery, some small arms, besides 
destroying the barracks. The Americans lost 
twenty-three in killed and wounded, and were 



toward the dignity and importance of a city. 
The old methods of navigation on the St. 
Lawrence, batteaux and Durham boats, have 
given way to elegant steamers, which have re- 
duced the time from Montreal from weeks to 
hours. Railways have replaced the uncertain 
stage coach, and now few towns are more 
favorably situated than is Brockville, as regards 
connections both by water and by rail. The 
main line of the Grand Trunk Railway runs 
through the town, and has been an important 
factor in its development. Direct communi- 








THE SNOW IN STREETS OF WATERTOWN, WINTER OF 1S94-95. 



forced to retreat to Black Lake. Since the 
senseless and uncalled for disturbance of 1837, 
which culminated in the surrender of the rebels 
at the Windmill, and the ripple caused by the 
Fenian Raid, Brockville has enjoyed uninter- 
rupted peace, and has steadily thriven, pursu- 
ing the even tenor of its way, until now we 
have 

The Brockville of To-Day. 

With a population of very nearly, if not 
quite 10,000, Brockville is fairly on the road 



cation with Ottawa, the capital of the Do- 
minion, only seventy-four miles distant, is af- 
forded by the Canadian Pacific Railway, 
which absorbed into its gigantic system the 
old Brockville and Ottawa Railway. Already 
the Brockville, Westport and Sault St. Marie 
Railway has been completed to Westport, and 
in addition to making a large section of coun- 
try tributary to Brockville, when completed 
to the "Soo," and connecting there with the 
American railways, this will become one or 
the great trunk lines, connecting the Atlantic 



324 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



seaboard with the Great West. Besides, there 
is now projected an electric railway to run 
between Brockville and Ottawa, which will 
open the Rideau country, and be of great 
benefit to that entire section. By steam-ferry 
to Morristown, connection is had with the 
Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburg Railway, 
which forms a part of the great Central sys- 
tem of New York ; the largest on the Ameri- 
can continent — and now it is proposed to 
build a bridge across the St. Lawrence at this 
point, to connect the Canadian and American 
systems, the preliminary steps to which have 
already been taken, charters secured in both 
countries, and it is confidently expected that 
active steps in the way of construction will be 
taken within a few months at the farthest. • 

During the season of navigation, the steamer 
service is excellent. The steamers of the 
Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company 
call daily on their trips between Toronto and 
Montreal and various American ports among 
the Thousand Islands. Besides these, the 
Ocean, Alexandria, Cuba, etc., do a large 
freight and passenger business, so that water 
facilities are of the best quality, and readily 
available at the minimum of delay. The 
steamer service to the Thousand Islands has 
of late years been supplied by the John Hag- 
gart, a commodious vessel, well adapted to the 
purpose. 

As a summer resort, Brockville offers ex- 
ceptional advantages. The great American 
resorts among the islands are within easy 
reach, being only from twenty-five to thirty 
miles away, and easily reached by any one of 
the daily line of steamers which ply during 
the watering season. Besides these, the Em- 
pire State, America and St. Lawrence, all 
splendid steamers, make almost daily excur- 
sions. These steamers belong to the Thou- 
sand Island Steamboat Company line, a com- 
pany that is sparing no pains nor expense to 
furnish a river service on the St. Lawrence 
which cannot be excelled. During the past 
decade some elegant resorts have sprung 
up on the Canadian side of the river; among 
which are Fernbank, Hill Crest, and Union 
Park, while between these nearly every fa- 



vored spot is taken up, and every year sees 
new and beautiful summer homes spring into 
view. Residents of New York, Ottawa and 
Montreal, recognizing the beauties of these 
locations, have already erected fine summer 
residences, or are prepared to do so in the 
near future. 

Between Brockville and Union Park, seven 
miles above, a steamer makes four round trips 
daily, so that business men can attend to their 
duties during the day, returning to their cot- 
tage homes in the evening. In addition to its 
river attractions, Brockville has some beauti- 
ful drives, prominent among which, for beauty 
and picturesqueness, is the drive to Fernbank 
Park and the village of Lynn, five miles away. 
The best known and patronized, however, is 
that to Prescott, a distance of twelve miles 
along the bank of the river. Brockville is 
supplied with water through the celebrated 
" Holly " system, and it has an excellent sys- 
tem of sewerage, so that as a place of excel- 
lent sanitation it is unexcelled. The streets 
are well lighted with both gas and electricity, 
or rather a combination of the two. They 
intersect at right angles, and for the most part 
are beautifully shaded, so that one might aptly 
name Brockville the " Forest City," and not 
go far astray. 

In religious and educational matters, Brock- 
ville stands deservedly high. Some of the 
church edifices are magnificent and costly tri- 
umphs of architectural skill. There are three 
congregations of the Church of England, two 
Presbyterian, two Methodist, one Baptist, and 
one Roman Catholic, besides some smaller 
sects. Their pastors are men of marked 
ability. The schools of Brockville are of a 
high order. The public schools consist of 
a central High school, known as the Victoria 
School, and four Ward Schools. The Separate 
School is a large and commodious structure, 
provided with all the modern appliances. The 
Convent de Notre Dame is a superior ladies' 
school. There is also an excellent Kin- 
dergarten in successful operation, together 
with some first-class private schools. The 
Collegiate Institute is one of the best higher 
educational institutions in the Province. Stu- 



BROCKVILLE INSANE ASYLUM. 



327 



dents are here prepared for matriculation in 
the various colleges, and for entering upon 
any of the professions. Brockville has also a 
Business College equal to any in the country 
in its methods and in the thoroughness of its 
work. Last, but by no means least among the 
educational institutions of the town, is the 
Art School. This has attained a provincial 
reputation from the excellence of the work 
exhibited by its pupils in competition with 
other Art schools in Ontario. The Mechanics' 
Institute, with its library of many thousand 
volumes, its ample and well-supplied reading- 
room, filled with all the current reading matter 
of the day, is surely an educator whose influ- 
ence upon the masses can hardly be over- 
estimated. In this respect, Brockville is but 
another demonstration of the well-known 
fact that, given a good, well-selected library, 
and a reading-room abundantly supplied with 
the literature of the day, a community will 
stand infinitely higher, morally and intel- 
lectually, than will one deprived of those 
privileges. Brockville has two excellent 
newspapers, the Times and Recorder, both of 
which are live sheets and fully up to date, not 
only as regards the news in general, but also 
fully alive to the interests of their town. 
There are many enterprising manufacturing 
firms, but lack of space prevents the insertion 
of a list. 

For the care of the sick and afflicted, Brock- 
ville has two excellent hospitals, the Brockville 
General Hospital and the St. Vincent de Paul 
Hospital, both being fully equipped and well 
managed. The crowning institution, however,, 
is the newly erected 

Brockville Insane Asylum. 

This is an elegant structure, standing on a 
commanding site on what was known as the 
Pickens Point property, at the left of the Pres- 
cott road. From it, the view across and down 
the St. Lawrence is magnificent. The premises 
contain 207 acres. The main building stands 
about 350 yards north of the Prescott road. 
It is built in the form of a cross, being three 
stories high in the center and two stories in 
the v/ings, having a frontage of 400 feet. The 



front of the central part is surmounted by a 
tower 128 feet in height. The central part of 
the main building projects to the rear 200 feet. 
There are ample basements, storage rooms, 
coal vaults, laundries, sewing rooms, offices, 
dining rooms, kitchens, patients" rooms, bath 
rooms,linen rooms, with ample accommodations 
in the main building for 240 patients. In 
short, the building is provided with every ap- 
pliance that science, skill and experience could 
suggest as being beneficial in an institution of 
the kind. Six cottages, each forty by sixty 
feet, two stories high, with all the appliances 
to accommodate sixty patients each, are also a 
part of this institution. Although interesting, 
space forbids an extended description of this 
fine public institution, so likely to prove one 
of the attractions of Brockville. 

The Canadian shore of the St. Lawrence 
river, it will be noticed, is, in the main, bluff 
and rocky, and in many places exceedingly 
precipitous, with here and there occasional 
breaks, where the land slopes gently to the 
water's edge. It is in one of these breaks that 
Brockville is situated, with high bluffs above 
and below and high ground to tlie rear. From 
the river the place presents a very fine ap- 
pearance. The bluff at the east end of the 
town rises to a height of fully fifty feet, and is 
commonly known as " High Rocks," which, 
with its overhanging shelves, clinging vines 
and wild honeysuckles draped over the en- 
trances many small caves, presents a charm- 
ing bit of scenery to the eye of the river tour- 
ist, but which is scarcely appreciated by the 
citizens themselves. This beautiful spot is the 
home of a legend or tale which may be too 
true in fact, to relegate to the regions of 
romance or legend. Be that as it may, it is 
here "set down," the reader to be the judge. 

The Legend of the Cliff. 

At a point where the face of the cliff is 
comparatively smooth, may be seen traces of 
a painting which is now nearly obliterated, 
but which, until within a few years past, was 
visited every spring by a band of Indians, 
who, with weired ceremonies and incantations, 
brightened the picture wilh fresh paint and 



32^ 



A SOUrENIli OF THE ST. LA IV RES CE RIVER. 



departed. The picture was a rough repre- 
sentation of a canoe, propelled by several 
Indians, out of which two white men were 
falling. The legend relates that in the early 
days of the French occupation of Canada by 
Count Frontenac, there was a continual 
struggle between the New France and the 
New England, as to which should secure the 
alliance of the Indian tribes; and although 
nominally France and England were at peace, 
there is no doubt that English officers sta- 
tioned in the colonies, did all in their power 
to forward this much-to-be-desired consumma- 
tion. The French had succeeded in securing 
the alliance of the Algonquins and Hurons, 
but the great confederacy of the Iroquois held 
aloof from any entangling alliances, the more, 
it is presumed, because tliey were deadly foes 
to both Hurons and Algonquins, the former 
of which were settled around lakes Huron 
and Superior, while the Algonquins were tlie 
tribes of the east. Tlie Hurons, to reach tlie 
great fur markets of Montreal and Quebec, 
were obliged to pass through the country of 
the Iroquois, which that confederacy promptly 
opposed, and so great was the terror inspired 
by the Iroquois, that Count Frontenac, then 
Governor of the New France, decided to pro- 
tect his allies, and administer such a rebuke 
to their foes that they would long remember 
it. The Count's expedition, however, was not 
an unqualified success; and though he brought 
off many prisoners, he returned with his army 
badly crippled, a fact of which the Iroquois 
were well aware. 

At all events, among the prisoners cap- 
tured by the French were a couple of English 
officers, who belonged, so history informs us, 
to the garrison at Oswego; for up to this 
point, dear reader, our relation is but a verita- 
ble historical fact, or facts, if you so choose. 
These officers were placed in care of a party of 
Indians, who were to take them to Montreal. 



Embarking in a canoe, tliey proceeded down 
the St. Lawrence, and, when at a point just 
above Brockville, they were struck by a terri- 
ble storm, and being heavily loaded they tossed 
the British officers overboard, not only to 
lighten tlie canoe, but to appease the storm- 
god by a human sacrifice. But the storm-god 
was not appeased. The gale increased in 
intensity, and the storm king howled and 
shrieked in the ears of the now dismayed In- 
dians, who began to regard their actions in 
throwing tlie two men overboard as cowardly. 
They felt that the Great Spirit would punish 
them for tlie act, and so the wail of their death 
songs, mingled with the shrieks of the tem- 
pest, and when opposite the High Rocks the 
canoe went down witli all its human freight, 
among whom was a distinguished chief. The 
judgment was well deserved. Of course, those 
savages did not intend to release their pris- 
oners, but just to torture them at the stake. 
Had tliey not been so cowardly as to throw 
them overboard to drown, how much pleasure 
they might have afforded the whole tribe, and 
what horrible tortures, so dear to the savage 
heart, they might have subjected them to. 
But they drowned their prisoners instead, and 
were themselves drowned. Served them right. 
For more than a hundred years a band of 
Indians has repainted tiie picture each spring, 
at the same time performing incantations to 
the Great Spirit, whose anger, because they 
drowned the officers instead of burning them 
at the stake, must be appeased. As it has 
now been several years since the picture has 
been renewed, let us hope that the Indian 
deity is satisfied. 

For mucli information concerning Brock- 
ville, the writer is indebted to Mr. R. Laid- 
LAW, of the Brockville Times, and to Mr. 
Geo. p. Graham, of the Recorder, genial gen- 
tlemen both, and fully alive to the interests of 
their town, 



>Jv xlv 




THE FOLGF.R UROTHERS, KINGSTON, ONT. 



THE FOLGEli BROrilKRS. 



331 



THE FOLGER BROTHERS. 



This widely known firm, of Kingston, On- 
tario, whose portraits precede this sketch, con- 
sists of B. W. FoLGER, born in 1838; Henry 
FoLGER, in 1842, and F. A. Folgek, in 185 r, 
all at Cape Vincent, Jefferson county, N. Y. 
They were sons of Frederick A. Folger 
and Laura Folger, the father being a de- 
scendant of Captain Matthew Folger, of 
Nantucket, Mass. Their mother was a Miss 
Breck, a sister of the junior partner in the 
Canadian firm of Calvin & Breck. Frederick 
A. Folger emigrated to Cape Vincent just 
after the War of 181 2-15, and cast his lot 
at that small country village on the St. Law- 
rence River, near its source. He was a man 
of fine intellectual girth and grain, and a 
poetic vein ran through his composition. He 
was a ready writer, an excellent critic of liter- 
ary work, and full of appreciative knowledge 
of the value of good books. He possessed 
business talents of a high order, and had he 
settled in a large town, he would have grasped 
every sound opportunity to lay the solid foun- 
dation of a large fortune. His lamented 
death, at the early age of 43, was a sad closing 
of a most promising career; and the follow- 
ing tribute from a contemporary newspaper 
will show in what high esteem he was held by 
those who knew his worth and mourned his 
loss: "Died, on the 28th of September, at 
Cape Vincent, in the 43d year of his age, 
F. A. Folger, Esq., the idol of his family, the 
ornament of the social circle, the useful citi- 
zen, the benefactor of the poor, the friend of 
man. Cut off in the midst of his years and 
his labors for the public good, his death will 
be universally and deeply deplored." This 
tribute proves how strong a place he had won 
in the hearts of the people where he lived and 
died. As he was the father of a family that 
is no doubt destined to fill a large place in 
the history of commercial and general affairs 
in the section where they were born, it will 
be in order to refer to the early history of its 
pioneers. The following is copied from a 



Nantucket newspaper, and shows the origin 
and fame of the Folgers, in connection with 
that historic town: "Nantucket has been 
wonderfully prolific of great men and women. 
Among the first families on the island were 
the Macys. The Folgers are another note- 
worthy race. The only child of ' Peter 
Folger,' born after his removal from Martha's 
Vineyard to Nantucket, was Abiah, who, in 
her young maidenhood, removed to Boston 
and married Jonah Franklin, the tallow chand- 
ler. The fifteenth child by this marriage was 
Benjamin Franklin, the philosopher. The 
mother in talent and worth is said to have 
been every way worthy of her illustrious son. 
Another member of this family was Charles J. 
Folger, the present Secretary of the Treasury, 
who was born in Nantucket, in a house which 
stood on the site of the present Sherbourne 
House, on Orange street." Captain Matthew 
Folger, the grandfather of the subjects of 
this biographical notice, was an adventurous 
spirit of his stirring times, and figured conspic- 
uously in marine matters. The Folger Bros. 
inherit the love of marine affairs, for the name 
of Folger has long been prominent in this line. 
It was a Folger who gave the best theory of 
the Gulf Stream; it was a Captain Folger who 
rescued the mutineers of the " Bounty " from 
Pitcairn Island. Miss Breck, who became the 
happy and worthy wife of Frederick A. Folger, 
was largely endowed with gentle and loving 
qualities of head and heart, and her influence 
in moulding the character of her boys was 
pure and commanding. She still lives, in the 
full possession of all her faculties, to enjoy 
the well won success of her fatherless sons. 
These brothers were led to locate in the 
Canadian city of Kingston in 1862, and were 
no doubt influenced to do so through their 
relationship to Mr. Breck, through the mar- 
riage of his sister to their father. He was the 
junior partner in the famous firm of Calvin & 
Breck, who were for years lords of the river 
on the Canadian side, in steamboat and raft- 



332 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



ing operations. Their headquarters were at 
Garden Island, and from this point many mil- 
lions of dollars worth of timber were put in 
shape to be rafted down the rapids of the St. 
Lawrence for reshipment to Europe. It may 
not be generally known that some of the oak 
which entered into the construction of Nel- 
son's flagship, the immortal " Victory," and 
on whose deck the great English naval hero 
received his death wound at Trafalgar, was 
cut from the southern bank of the St. Law- 
rence between Cape Vincent and Clayton, and 
put into rafts at" the foot of Long Island for 
floating to Quebec. Such is the interesting 
historic fact, and the old piers can still be seen 
at this point which were used in the rafting 
operations of that time. 

From 1862 to the present day the firm of 
Folger Bros, has been the best known and 
most active of any business house in Kingston. 
Their history has been one continuous growth 
in many lines of business. With their banking 
business, first established, they have large in- 
terests now in the Electric Street Railway 
Company of Kingston, the Gas and Electric 
Light Company, the Kingston Real Estate 
Company, the Kingston and Pembroke Rail- 
way Company, North American Telegraph 
Company and the St. Lawrence River and 
Thousand Island Steamboat Companies. 
These large and important businesses are all 
in first rate condition, and are proof of the 
business energy and tact of the Brothers 
Folger. They are known over a wide section 
of Canada and the States for their upright and 
downright business ways, their great enter- 
prise and far-seeing calculations as to com- 
mercial affairs. These brothers have always 
held equal interests in their business concerns, 
and present a remarkable instance of family 
concord of the most intimate and cordial char- 
acter, extending from childhood up to the 
present time. There are not now, nor have 
there ever been, the slightest differences in 
their family or business associations; and the 
result is shown in great industrial enterprises 
carried on by them in all the harmony and 
smoothness of a single master-mind. If they 
were to express an opinion as to the reasons 



for their success in life, they would quite likely 
attribute it to the strong family ties which 
have made them all work together with the 
greatest zeal and harmony. Owing no doubt 
to the trait of character developed so fully in 
their paternal grandfather, they take a lively 
interest in the St. Lawrence River and Thou- 
sand Island Steamboat Companies. They first 
developed and consolidated and systematized 
the large tourist and general traffic on the 
upper reaches of the noble river. They have 
carried over 5,000,000 of people on their 
steamers, and never wet a foot or injured a 
passenger. This remarkable record is as 
unique as it is creditable to the safe and wise 
manner in which this vast human commerce 
has been carried on for so many years. No 
expense or pains are spared to safely and 
suitably equip and man their passenger steam- 
ers, and their names are an assurance of 
thoughtful and competent management from 
deck hand to captain. Of the three brothers — 
each with special characteristics in a business 
way — Henry Folger is perhaps the best known 
outside of the immediate business management 
in and about Kingston. He generally repre- 
sents the firm in all outside matters. He is a 
gentleman of fine accomplishments, and a 
great lover of books. His circle of friends in- 
cludes many of the leading public men of the 
Dominion and of the United States, and he is 
highly respected by all. His generous interests 
in the poor and needy are such as to endear 
him to those who are familiar with his unos- 
tentatious charities. He dislikes notoriety of 
any sort, and his modest benefactions are 
in consequence never heralded about. 

The following interesting sketch from the 
Ottawa " Citizen," a leading Canadian journal, 
published at the capital of the Dominion, in 
speaking of the rumor that he was to be ap- 
pointed to an important position, said : 

"The Kingston News announces that Mr. Henry 
Folger, of that ancient cit)', is to be appointed gene- 
ral manager of the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation 
Company. Mr. Folger is a member of the iirm of 
Folger Brothers, who control the gas, electric light 
and street railway companies in Kingston, who own 
the island ferries there, are principal stockholders in 
the St. Lawrence River Navigation Company, are 



THE ORIGIN OF PRINTING ON THE SHORES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 335 



largely engaged in mining in the county of Fronlc- 
nac, and manage the Kingston & Pembroke Railway 
as representatives of the Flower interest. He is a 
particularly shrewd and capable business man, far- 
sighted and sagacious, fertile in resources, with tact 
to win men and talent to govern men; possessed, 
moreover, with the genuine Yankee spirit of restless 
enterprise. Should he assume the management of 
the Richelieu Company, the great opportunities 
which that organization possesses of attracting travel 
to the splendid and unequalled water route down the 
great lakes from Toronto to Quebec will be devel- 
oped to the utmost, and a new era will open up for 
the travelling multitudes as well as for the stock- 
holders. Mr. Folger is known in private as a wit 
and epigrammatist, and in public as one of the most 
brilliant after-dinner speakers in Canada. He pos- 
sesses a taste for literature and an acquaintance with 
the best authors, as well as discriminating insiglit 
into their work, which are seldom met with in such a 
sharp and energetic man of affairs." 

This high commendation was merited, and 
is reproduced in this connection as independ- 
ent testimony of a valuable kind, as showing 
the esteem in which he is held by the first 
authorities in the county where he now resides. 

Several years ago, B. VV. Folger, the senior 
member of the firm, distinguished himself by 



the vigorous manner in whicli he resented a 
discourtesy to the American flag in Canada. 
It is the special aim of this member of the 
firm to watch every minute detail of the vari- 
ous businesses in which tliey are interested. 
Cool in judgment, keen in his knowledge of 
men and affairs, and of wide resources in a 
business way, the senior member is a rare 
helper in all that pertains to their public enter- 
prises. Fred Folger, the youngest of the firm, 
combines the good qualities of his brothers, is 
very popular, and has ability of a high order. 
If he is less-widely known than his brothers, it 
is only because he is younger, for in all high 
business equipment he is their peer. He will 
not fail to bear aloft the firm's banner of 
untiring zeal and unquestioned integrity, so 
long as he is spared to do so. This strong 
trio of brothers have made for themselves, be- 
fore the climacteric of life has been reached, a 
good and famous name and history worthy of 
emulation, and an honor to the environments 
in which their business lot and lives have been 
cast. Their example is worthy of the highest 
praise. a. d. s. 



THE ORIGIN OF PRINTING ON THE SHORES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 



BY J. L. HUBERT NEILSON, M. D., R. C. A., DEPUTY SURGEON GENERAL. 



IN the year 1749 a learned Swede, Peter 
Kalm, professor in a Swedish University, 
a disciple of the great Linnaeus, visited the 
United States and Canada. He informs us, 
in the interesting volumes of travel which he 
subsequently published, that there was then 
no printing press in Canada. He was told, 
though, that at one time there had been one. 
This bit of information appears, however, to 
have been not in accord with fact. Kalm 
adds: "All books are brought from France, 
and all the orders made in the country are 
written, which extends even to the paper cur- 
rency. They pretend that the press is not yet 
introduced here, lest it should be the means 
of propagating libels against the government 
and religion. But the true reason seems to 



be in the poorness of the country, as no 
printer could put off a sufficient number of 
books for his subsistence; and another reason 
may be that France may have the profit aris- 
ing from the exportation of books hither." 

Whatever the cause may have been, and all 
seems to indicate that reasons of state policy 
were the true cause, a public press was an 
absolutely unknown quantity in Canada from 
the foundation of Quebec, in 1609, until after 
the conquest by the British arms and final 
cession in 1763. It had been very different 
over the border in the New England provin- 
ces. Within twenty years of the landing of 
the Pilgrim Fathers a press had been estab- 
lished at Cambridge in 1638, by Steven Daye. 
At first, and for many years, small works of a 



336 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



Godly character were its only output. Gradu- 
ally matters of a more worldly nature were 
served by it. But it was not until 1704 that 
such' a secular object as a newspaper made its 
appearance, and met with sufficient public 
support and appreciation. It is believed that 
as early as 1545 a printing press was operated 
in the city of Mexico. 

Well, in the year 1763 — it being made 
known to the world that Canada was to be 
irrevocably attached to the British Crown — 
it occurred to one William Brown, a young 
printer in Philadelphia, that Canada might 
be a new field worth trying. Canada was 
still under military rule. After a short cor- 
respondence with the then Governor General, 
James Murray, for the double purpose of 
making sure that his scheme would not only 
be permitted but favored by the authorities, 
he did not hesitate to put his small savings 
into the venture. 

William Brown, like so many other leaders 
among men, pioneers and benefactors of their 
race, was a native of Scotland. He was born 
in Kirkcudbrightshire, province of Galloway, 
in 1737. His father, John Brown, was laird 
of Nunton, in the parish of Twynholm, and of 
Langlands, in Borgue. William, being a 
younger son, was sent to paternal relatives in 
Virginia, to make his fortune as best he could. 
In 1851-2-3 we find him studying the classics 
and mathematics at William and Mary Col- 
lege, in Williamsburgh. The year following 
he had entered a counting house as clerk, but 
soon there came the seven-years' war; the de- 
feat of Braddock at Monongahela was fol- 
lowed by commercial dislocation and a finan- 
cial crash which brought an end to Brown's 
incipient career as a bank clerk. 

Unemployed, stranded, and with but slen- 
der means in hand, young Brown bethought 
himself of a trade, which possessed greater 
elements of stability than banking in those 
tempestuous times. The printing business, 
moreover, seemed to him congenial. He ac- 
cordingly directed his steps towards Philadel- 
phia, with a view of there acquiring the art of 
printing. He first served as apprentice inthe 
celebrated establishment of William Bradford, 



which theft existed at the corner of ' Black 
Horse alley. It is traditional, however, that 
he finished his time with Franklin & Hall, 
then publishers of the Pennsylvania Gazette. 

In 1 758 he had transferred his services to 
William Dunlap, a printer who was also largely 
interested in bookselling. Dunlap had mar- 
ried a relative of Benjamin Franklin's wife, 
and through this family connection had re- 
cently been appointed postmaster of Philadel- 
phia. : In 1760 he was for a short time partner 
to James Rivington' in the book-selling busi- 
ness in New York. Their book store was at 
the lower end of Wall street. Brown soon with- 
drew, returned to Philadelphia, and together 
with a nephew, John Dunlap, became busi- 
ness managers of the elder Dunlap's con- 
cern. In that capacity we find him next 
residing for two years in Bridgetown, Bar- 
badoes, winding up a bookselling and print- 
ing enterprise which Dunlap had there. It 
was on his return from Barbadoes, in 1763, 
that he formed the project of trying his for- 
tune in Canada. He selected as partner one 
Thomas Gilmore, a native of the north of 
Ireland, a relative of Dunlap's, who generously 
bolstered up the venture of his two young 
friends to the extent of ^450. 

On the 6th of August he left Philadelphia 
for Boston. He informs us, in his " diary," 
that he met with disappointment in not find- 
ing there a vessel bound for Quebec. He 
had no choice left but to purchase a horse 
and make his way as best he could towards 
Quebec, via Albany, Lake Champlain, Mon- 
treal and down the St. Lawrence to Quebec. 
Brown's diary is replete with details of this 
journey, now of great interest, but space pro- 
hibits quotations. While Brown was proceed- 
ing overland, Gilmore was sent to London to 
purchase the press, type and paper for the 
new Quebec printing office, the whole to be 
brought out by the first vessel the following 
spring. 

Brown, after adventures which would be 
well worth repeating, finally reached Quebec 
on the 30th of September, 1763. The ensu- 
ing autumn and winter months he devoted to 
perfecting himself in the knowledge of French, 



THE ORIG/y OF PRINTING ON THE SHORES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 539 



canvassing for subscribers, distributing his 
prospectus, and making things ready for the 
installation of the press. He had secured a 
small house " in Parlour street, in the Upper 
Town, a little above the Bishop's Palace." 
Giimore arrived early in June, with a brand- 
new hand press and excellent type, which he 
had secured from Kenrick Peck, of London. 
He was also provided with a sufficient supply 
of paper, ink and other necessaries. On the 
2 1st of June, 1764, the first number of the 
Quebec Gazette was offered to the public. 

It will thus be seen that to these citizens of 
old Philadelphia is due the honor and glory 
of having planted the first press in its sister 
colony on the shores of the St. Lawrence, in 
the now vast and prosperous Dominion of 
Canada. A word of the worthy William Dun- 
lap, P'ranklin's relative, who was in a way the 
sponsor and financial backer of Brown and 
Gilmore's venture, may not be out of place. 
By trade he had been a job printer, bookseller 
and paper manufacturer, and, in 1758, suc- 
cessor to William Franklin as postmaster of 
Philadelphia. Dunlap had also a printing 
and bookselling establishment in Barbadoes. 
He was also interested in the Barbadoes Mer- 
cury. His agent there was George Esmond, 
who so neglected his patron's interest that, in 
1765, Dunlap had to go there himself, and 
there he spent two years in vain attempts to 
obtain a settlement of his affairs. While in 
Bridgetown, although advanced in years, he 
decided to devote himself to the ministry of 
the Church of England, commenced his theo- 
logical studies, and, in 1767, went to London 
to be ordained. He then returned to Phila- 
delphia, his wife having, meanwhile, become 
insane. John Dunlap, his nephew, took charge 
of the interests which he still retained in the 
Philadelphia printing and bookselling estab- 
lishment. This firm continued to furnish sup- 
plies of printing paper, stationery, etc., to 
Brown and Giimore in Quebec until the out- 
break of the Revolutionary war. These goods 
were usually forwarded to them by sailing 
vessels via the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. 
But they looked for more than inert .supplies 
from Philadelphia. I quote from a long half- 



business, half-affectionate letter written by 
Brown to the Rev. William l^unlap. on April 
29, 1768: 

"* * * Having been long embarr.issud with C.in.i- 
dian Boj'S.is menial servants about the Printing OITice, 
who will not engage for any considerable time and 
as soon as they lind themselves useful augment their 
wages and become intolerably insolent, we are at last 
come to a Resolution of trying to get a Negro Hoy, 
wherefore we beg you will endeavour to purchase 
one for us, between 15 and 2oyears of age fit to put to 
Press, who has had the Small Pox, is country born 
and can be recommended for his Honesty, we would 
not begrudge a pretty good Price for such a likely 
Negro: or if you should be inclined to part with your 
Boy Priamus we would be glad to have him and 
would be glad to give what would be judged a 
reasonable price for him. We pray you may try and 
procure us one so that he may reach us here in the 
fall: and as soon as you shall be certain of hiin or 
determined to part with your own we beg you ma)' 
loose no Time in acquainting us of the Price, which 
we will immediately remit to you on a Bill on York 
(sic) as we shall keep the cash ready till we hear 
from you. Should it be too late for an opportunity 
from Philadclphi.a there has always been vessels 
from York in August and Sepbr, and we doubt not 
that there will be this Year. * *■' *" In a P. S lie 
adds: " If you are so luckv as to get us a Negro, 
before you embark him we beg he may be iiisiim/." 

William Dunlap evidently took the most 
kindly, even fatherly, interest in his two pro- 
teges in Quebec, judging from the many letters 
he wrote them, several of which are in my 
possession. A son named Toiny appears to 
have been at this period with the printers in 
Quebec, for he more than once refers to him. 
He always subscribed himself, " I am, dear 
gentlemen. Your affectionate W. Dunlap." 
His confidence in them was not misplaced, 
for that very year they repaid him in full his 
advance of ^450, with interest at si.x per cent. 
There being none or few regular banks in 
existence in the North American provinces, 
remitting money was both a difficult and costly 
matter. Opportunities of purchasing a bill 
of exchange on a good, solvent firm or indi- 
vidual were few and far between. About this 
time, 1768, W. Dunlap severed his connection 
with business to become rector of the parish 
of Stratton in King and Queen's county, Vir- 
ginia, where, I presume, he ended his varied 
earthly career. 



340 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



Brown & Gilmore liad calculated on a 
subscription list of at least 150; when the first 
number appeared, only no had given in their 
names. General Murray subscribed for ten 
copies and two other officials five each. 
Among these no names not more than a 
dozen French names can be found, most of 
these \vere priests. The paper was printed on 
a folio sheet, with foui double-column pages, 
one column being English, the opposite one a 
translation into French. A cut of the Royal 
Arms headed the paper, to one side of whicli 
was the title, " Tiie Quebec Gazette," while on 
the other was the French title, " La Gazette de 
Quebec." At the foot of the fourth page was 
the colophone, "Quebec, printed by Brown & 
Gilmore, at the printing office in Parlour 
street, in the Upper Town, a little above the 
Bishop's palace, where subscriptions for this 
paper are taken in; advertisements of a mode- 
rate length (in one language) inserted for five 
shillings Halifax, the first week and one shil- 
ling each week after; if in both languages 
seven shillings and six pence Halifax, the 
first week and half a dollar each week after ; 
and all kinds of printing done in the neatest 
manner, with care and expedition.'" It ap- 
peared once a week, on Thursdays. 

The two first pages contained foreign Euro- 
pean news, seldom less than six weeks or two 
months old; occasional items relating to the 
neighboring Provinces and extracts from their 
newspapers ; then followed scanty allusions 
to matters of local interest; the third and 
fourth pages were filled with official proc- 
lamations, government and private advertise- 
ments, many of which convey curious and 
important information. Brown appears to 
have been the business head — ^ editor and 
manager — of the concern; he and Gilmore 
had evidently been trained at an excellent 
school; witness the correctness and neatness 
of their work. Brown was the essence of 
regularity and precision in all his work; his 
diary, his letters, his office books, dating from 
his arrival in Canada until his death, detailing 
every business transactions of the printing 
office and every item of his own personal ex- 
penses from 1763 to 1789, are written most 



carefully in rounded hand; they are all pre- 
served among the collections of the writer of 
this sketch. 

Broadsides, pamphlets and small volumes 
soon followed the appearance of the " Quebec 
Gazette;" the first was the "Presentment" 
of the first Canadian grand jury, a small 
quarto of forty-two pages, an important and 
unique document; but one copy is known to 
exist, and that is to be found in the writer's 
collection. The second volume was " Le Cate- 
cliisme du Diocese de Sens in 1765;" a unique 
copy is in the possession of the Honorable 
Judge Baby of Montreal. 

A curious and now excessively rare book, 
printed by Brown & Gilmore in 1767, is the 
" Nehiro-Irinui," a small 8vo. of 96 pages, 
printed witli great neatness and fine type, but 
entirely in the Montagnais language. It is a 
prayer book, catechism, etc., composed for 
the Indians of the Saguenay Valley by their 
celebrated and saintly missionary, Father La 
Brosse, a Jesuit, whose life-work and death 
are the subject of more than one legend, re- 
peated with reverence to this day among tlie 
Indians and peasants of tlie lower St. Law- 
rence. Miss Machar of Kingston and Gan- 
anoque, familiar to many readers under the 
" nom de plume " Fidelis, has recently rend- 
ered one of these La Brosse legends in charm- 
ing verse. J. C. Pilling in his "Bibliography 
of the Algonquian Languages," published by 
the Smithsonian Institution in 1891, gives a 
good description of Father La Brosse's writ- 
ings and works. The labor of composing and 
revising the proofs of such a book must have 
taxed the patience and time of the printer to 
their very utmost, yet he charged but ^^{^45 for 
2,000 copies of 6 sheets, Svo. 

Enough of the early issues of the Quebec 
press — more would cease to interest the gen- 
eral reader. Brown & Gilmore remained in 
partnership for nearly ten years when, in 1773, 
Thomas Gilmore died. During the two or 
three years preceding his death he had been 
unable to withstand the temptations attending 
prosperity, he had fallen into loose habits, neg- 
lected his work, overdrawn his account — in 
fact, had become a thorn in Brown's side. 



THE ORIGIN OF miXTINC, 0.\ THE SHORES OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. 343 



Brown continued the business alone, but in a 
very careful and conservative manner. At 
this time much sympathy was felt throughout 
Canada for the victims of the Boston mas- 
sacre and their families; subscriptions were 
collected for the latter. Brown contributed 
^50 to this fund, a very handsome sum in 
those days. 

Then came the time when the old French 
province was invaded by the Congressional 
army, when the citadel city of Quebec re- 
mained the last foothold of England in Canada. 
Brown's sentiments of loyalty to the British 
crown and institutions were too deep rooted 
to permit him to svmpathise with men whom 
he considered to be rebels. He shouldered 
his musket and served devotedly as a militia- 
man, on the walls of the city, at the battle of 
the 31st of December, 1775, when Montgomery 
was killed, and until the end of the siege in 
May following, when the retreat of the besieg- 
ers under General Wooster became a rout. 
After the beginning of the siege in December, 
1775, all affairs were at a stand-still and the 
" Quebec Gazette " ceased to appear until the 
August following, when the country had re- 
covered, to some extent, its normal condition. 

It was at this time that a second press made 
its appearance in Canada. The printers were 
Fleury Mesplet and Charles Berger, both print- 
ers originally from old France. They had set- 
tled in Philadelphia; there they had been picked 
up by Franklin who, together with Samuel 
Chase and John and Charles Carroll of Carroll- 
ton, had been deputed to Canada as Commis- 
sioners of Congress, for the purpose of inducing 
the French Canadians to espouse the Revolu- 
tionary cause. It was deemed that French 
printers would be important factors in dissemin- 
ating the offers and blandishments of Congress, 
and with that object in view these two men and 
a press followed on the heels of the Commission. 
The Commissioners perceiving their mission a 
failure, wisely recrossed the borders, but left 
behind their printers, press and materials. 
These two worthies first opened an office in 
Quebec, and their first output was a volume 
of French hymns Soon after they returned 
to Montreal, where they printed several small 



works of a religious character. Meanwhile, 
Charles Berger disappears from the scene, 
leaving Fleury Mesplet alone to prosecute his 
trade. He signalized himself, in 1778, by 
publishing the first French news])aper in Can- 
ada, "La Gazette Litteraire," also a small 
almanac for 1778 and 1779, both of extreme 
rarity. At this time his labors were violently 
interrupted ; he was accused of republican 
sympathies, sedition, etc., and thrown into 
prison in Quebec. There lie remained incar- 
cerated in the Recollet convent until the peace 
of 1783, when the mother country and her 
daughter agreed to live apart. Mesplet, set 
free, lost no time in recriminations, but 
founded the "Montreal Gazette," which, 
although still extant, had at first a very fitful 
and uncertain existence in the hands of sev- 
eral masters, viz.: Mesplet, L. & J. Roy, Ed- 
ward Edwards, James Brown a nephew of 
William Brown, and others 

Meanwhile our friend William Brown and 
his Quebec Gazette continued the even tenor 
of their ways. The large number of troops 
stationed in or coming through Canada during 
the war, and when peace came, the renewal of 
commercial activity brought subscribers, 
printing orders, and gold into his strong box. 
Previous to 1779 annual sheet calendars had 
been found amply sufficient for the needs of 
the country. Brown now judged that alma- 
nacs would be appreciated by the public, and 
that year was issued the Quebec Almanack 
for 17S0, the first of that most important 
series of almanacs which continued to appear 
year after year until 1841. The older num- 
bers are now exceedingly scarce — they are 
valued by collectors at from fifteen to twenty 
dollars apiece — all are rare and much sought 
after on account of the curious and im])ortant 
records they contain. 

William Brown died suddenly on the 22d 
of March, 1789, aged about fifty-three. He 
was buried in St. Matthew's Cemetery, John 
street, Quebec. He liad never married. Four 
years before his deatli he had prevailed on 
his widowed sister in Scotland, Mrs. Isabel 
Brown Neilson, to confide to him the future 
of her son Samuel. Subsequently John fol- 



344 



A SOUl'ENrR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



lowed his brother. Although but mere boys 
at the time of their uncle's death, they con- 
tinued to manage his printing business, the 
Gazette, his government contracts, in a word, 
his large estate, in their own behalf and also 
for the benefit of other heirs in Scotland, for 
Brown had died intestate. Samuel survived 
his uncle but four years. He died in January, 



i79o 



His death was a distinct loss to the 



Province, for few men are endowed with more 
practical and brilliant qualities than he had. 
He was a particular favorite at the Chateau 
Saint Louis and in social circles. H. R. H. 
Prince Edward (Duke of Kent, father of 
Queen Victoria) honored him with his friend- 
ship — he was then colonel of the 7th Fusi- 
leers in garrison at Quebec. It is said that 
"Samuel Neilson contracted the cold which 
caused his death while enjoying a tandem sleigh 
drive ■^\\X\ the prince. Andre Michaud, the 
botanist, mentions him in his memoirs as being 
a man of surprising scientific attainments. 

The young Neilsons showed enterprise and 
])ush enough, first, to found the '' Quebec 
Magazine," in 1791, a monthly issue (some 
numbers illustrated); it died for want of sup- 
port after its third volume, shortly after the 
death of Samuel; second, to buy out the stock 
in trade, press, etc., of a small rival sheet 
which had been in existence a few years in 
Quebec. They sent this material and one of 
their foremen, named Louis Roy, to found a 
printing office and newspaper at New Ark, on 
the Niagara River, the new capital of the new 
province of Upper Canada, in 1793. The 
" Upper Canada Gazette or American Oracle, " 
April 18, 1793, was the result of their enter- 
prise, the pioneer press of the west. Louis 
Roy, however, left alone to himself, disap- 
pointed his patrons, abandoned his post, and 
returned to Montreal the year following. 
G. Tiffany picked up the work where Roy 
had dropped it, and continued the publication 
of the U. C. Gazette until its transfer to York 
(now Toronto) in 1799, where it was printed 
by W. Waters and T. G. Simons. These 
printers proved unequal to the task. This 
gave John Neilson, of the Quebec Gazette, a 
second opportunity of opening a branch print- 



ing establishment in Upper Canada. He se- 
lected for that purpose his trusted foreman, 
John Bennett, and supplied him with a fair 
equipment from his office. Bennett started 
from Quebec in June, 1801. It took him one 
month and three days to reach York. On 
the 20th of August he wrote to John Neilson: 
■'* * * I waited on the Governor (Sir Peter 
Hunter, nick-named Blue Peter), when His Ex- 
cellency appointed me " King's Printer for Up- 
per Canada," and Sheriff MacDonell sent with 
me to demand the types from my predeces- 
sors, who had not the least wind of the busi- 
ness. Mr. Simons is a young man of some 
abilities, and much believes in York's future, 
but it appears his sentiments were rather 
inimical to government. Waters, whom I 
have now to assist me, is as honest, good- 
natured a fellow as I would wish to see, only 
he likes to take a hearty twist at the bottle, 
etc. * * * Simons has acquired a genteel 
property since he has been in government em- 
ploy, and Waters is also possessed of some." 

Bennett took over the ptiblication of the 
Upper Canada Gazette, and set immediately 
about printing the first volume of the " Jour- 
nals of the House of Assembly of Upper 
Canada," in 1801, a quarto of 74 pages. The 
"Statutes" followed in 1S02; a beautifully 
printed "Almanack" for 1803, etc., etc.; all 
which are of exceeding scarcity. Bennett, 
unfortunately by contamination, or natural in- 
clination, drifted into habits similar to those of 
his assistant, Waters. He neglected his busi- 
ness; he became involved in all sorts of trouble; 
finally, John Neilson, in 1807-8, had to come 
to York to close in disgust his connection 
with the printing business in Upper Canada. 

At the end of last century, G. and Sylvester 
Tiffany continued printing at Niagara. Their 
paper was known as the "Constellation." 
They issued an almanac in 1802. The other 
pioneers of the press, on the banks of the St. 
Lawrence, were: H. Myles, who founded the 
"Kingston Gazette" in 1810, at Kingston, 
now represented by the " Daily News." The 
same printer started the " Prescott Telegraph " 
in 1823. The " Brockville Recorder" was 
originated in 1820. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF J. L. H. NEILSON. 



347 



The population of both Canadas now in- 
creased with rapid strides, and with it innu- 
merable presses and periodicals of all sorts — 
some possessed of vitality; others of the mush- 
room tribe, and ephemeral in nature, arose, 
lived and vanished in every new village. 

To return to the old Quebec press. After 
the death of his brother Samuel, in 1793, 
John Neilson continued the publication of the 
Quebec Gazette. Under his editorship and 
management it gained in influence and im- 
portance; addressing itself in its French and 
English columns to both nationalities, with no 
serious rival in sight, it became a power in the 
land, while, at the same time, it was the vehicle 
of government proclamations and mandates. 
John Neilson was elected to the legislature in 
18 1 7, and he occupied a seat in the councils 
of the nation until his death. His great abili- 
ties, his integrity, his devotion to the public 
weal, his eloquence, his powerful editorials in 
his paper, soon brought him to the front rank 
among the public men of his day. Thrice 
he was deputed to London by his fellow 
citizens to watch over their interests, and 
on one occasion to present petitions for re- 
dress at the foot of the throne. He died in 



1848, aged 73, regretted, loved and revered 
by all. 

The Quebec Gazette celebrated its centen- 
nial sixteen years after his death, in 1864. 
Thirty-one years have since then elapsed, and 
the Quebec Gazette continues to appear. Its 
last number, now before me, is dated Wednes- 
day, May 1, 1895, No. 12,37 1, vol. cxxiv. For 
some years past it has been practically the 
weekly edition of the Quebec Chronicle, and 
owned by the same proprietor. It is twenty- 
three years older than the London Times, and 
now one of the oldest newspapers in the 
world. It may be of interest to the readers 
of this historical sketch to know that its 
writer has in his collection a complete file of 
the Quebec Gazette, from its prospectus and- 
first number, on June 21, 1764, up to 1850, 
the subsequent years arc unfortunately not 
quite so complete. Such as it is, this long 
series of files of the same newspaper, covering 
nearly a century and a half of time, is believed 
to be unique. 

It is safe to state that the precedmg pages 
embody more facts relating to the origin of 
printing in Canada than has yet been given to 
the public by any other writer on this subject. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF J. L. H. NEILSON. 



jM. d., r. c. a., depu 
Few, if any, officers at present in the mili- 
tary service of Canada, have experienced such 
varied war service as the subject of this sketch. 
Shortly after graduating as M. D., he was ap- 
pointed assistant surgeon to the Royal Artil- 
lery in Canada, in October, 1869. In April, 
1870, he was selected to form part of the 
medical staff of the small army sent under 
colonel (now Lord Wolseley), to suppress the 
first Red River rebellion. This proved to be 
one of the most difficult and arduous expedi- 
tions ever undertaken by British troops, but 
attended with complete success. He re- 
mained eighteen months attached to the mili- 
tary service in the north-west, volunteering 
meanwhile to attend the victims of a frightful 



TY SURGEON-GENERAL. 

small-pox epidemic which raged among the 
Indians on the plains. In the autumn of 1871, 
he was recalled to Canada to assist in the organ- 
ization of A and B Batteries of regular Cana- 
dian Artillery, and since that time has re- 
uiamed connected with the artillery service. 
He accompanied his corps in several bloody 
encounters with the mobs of the ancient 
capital during the labor riots from 1872-7. 
At this time he was attached to the Army 
Medical School at Netley, in England. Dur- 
ing the Russo-Turkish campaign in the Bal- 
kans, he volunteered in the Red Cross 
ambulances. At the close of the campaign 
he returned to his former duties in Canada. 
During the winter of 1879-80, he spent some 



348 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE R/]'ER. 



weeks in Wasliingion. studying the admirable organizing, equipping, disciplining and con- 
medical organization of the United States ducting to the land of the Pharaohs these 
Army, then under the able administration of rough, half-wild backwoodsmen and Indians, 
those war veterans, Generals Barnes and previously unaccustomed to restraint or con- 
Crane, frol of any sort ; yet, within six weeks of the 
In 1884, when it was decided to select the issue of the first cable order, 480 voyageurs 
Nile route for the Gordon relief expedition, were landed in Alexandria, and ten days later 




J. L. HUBERT NEII.SON, ESQ., M. D., 



DEPUTY SURGEON-GENERAL. 



Lord Wolseley called to his aid the hardy 
Canadian voyageurs to assist the troops in 
overcoming the cataracts and rapids of the 
Nile. Lord Wolseley specially selected Col. 
Denison and Dr. Neilson, whom he remem- 
bered favorably during the Red River expedi- 
tion of 1870-71, for the purpose of recruiting, 



they were at work in the Soudan. After his ar- 
rival in Egypt, Dr. Neilson was attached to the 
first field hospital. He followed the troops in 
their arduous march across the Bayuda desert, 
was present at Abu Klea, etc. Then later he 
was sent to Suakim, on the Red Sea coast. 
For these services in Egypt, he was specially 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF J. L. H. NEILSON. 



351 



mentioned in Lord Wolesley's despatches, as 
published in the London Official Gazette of 
August 25, 1885. He was rewarded with the 
Egyptian war medal with two clasps, tiic 
Kliedivial bronze star and made Knight of 
the Royal Order of Milusine, for special ser- 
vices gratuitously given to Christian refugees, 
who had fled from Khartoum before the siege 
commenced. 

Since that date. Dr. Neilson has served in 
peace, chiefly as medical officer of the Royal 
Military College of Kingston, Canada (see 
page 28 of this volume), and of the garrison 
of Kingston as Chairman of the Board on 
Militia Medical Organization, etc., etc. 

He has found time between his many pro- 
fessional callings to follow his natural bent 
towards historical research. His library of 
books, MSS., maps, portraits and reviews — re- 
lating to the history of America, and of Canada 
in particular — is one of if not the largest pos- 
sessed by any private individual; in fact, it is 
quite unique. This famous library was com- 
menced in 1801, when his grandfather, the late 
Honorable John Neilson, of the Quebec Ga- 
zette, purchased the greater part of the rare 
books and MSS. belonging to the old Jesuit 
College in Quebec when it was sold by order 
of the Government. To these beginnings 
have been added the collections of three lives. 
We might enumerate a few of the MSS.: 
One was written by Pere Marquette in 1671, 
the discoverer of the Mississippi, entitled 
" Prasces Illinicae," written in the dialect of 
the Illinois Indians; it is thought to be all that 
remains extant of this language. The Pere 
Sylvie MS. of about 1680, is a dictionary of 
the Montagnais language, and philologically 
important, as well as four other old Jesuit 
MSS. All the Wm. Brown correspondence 
with Philadelphia, relating to the origin of 
printing in Canada, his diary, and all his 
account books from 1764-89, and the office 
books of the Neilsons and their correspondence 
until 1S50, containing all their printing trans- 
actions; an enormous number of correspond- 
ence and letters of public men, from the be- 
ginning to the middle of the present century, 
etc., etc., form part of its riches. Among the 



printed, books are a complete file of the Que- 
bec Gazette from June, 1764, to the present 
day; fifty-five years of the Quebec Almanacks 
from 1781 to 1841 — by far the most complete 
series known; the presentment of the grand 
jury, Quebec, 1765 ; the Stamp Act, Quebec, 
1765; Labrasse's Nehiro-Irenui, 1767; Cugnet's 
Laws, Quebec, 1775; the Traite des Mes- 
sieurs, Quebec, 1772; the Mohawk Prayer 
Book, Quebec, 1780; Reglement de la Con- 
frerie Mesplet, Montreal, 1776 (first book 
printed in Montreal) ; the Upper Canada 
Almanack, York, 1802, together with all of 
Bennett's and Louis Roy's correspondence 
relating to the early Upper Canada press; the 
Quebec Directory, 1790; the Quebec Maga- 
zine, three volumes, 1 79 1-2; the British- Ameri- 
can Register, Quebec, 1805; the Canadian, 
1807-10, etc., etc. ; the original Jesuit rela- 
tions, Champlain, 1619; Lescarbot, i6n ; 
Sagard, 1630; DeLact, 1640, are represented 
by choice examples. To these value is added 
by the binder's best efforts. This collection 
is also exceptionally rich in early Canadian 
pamphlets. 

Dr. Neilson has supplied the press and 
magazines with many articles embodying his 
researches: "The Royal Canadian Volunteers, 
1794-1802;" "The Diary of a French Cana- 
dian Officer during the war of 1812;" "The 
Last Days of Fort Frontenac under the Fleur 
de Lis," are historical sketches of real merit. 
The article on the " Origin of Printing on 
the Shores of the St. Lawrence," in this 
volume, is from his pen. Dr. Neilson has, 
for years, given much attention and labor to 
the collection of material for a history of the 
origin of the press in Canada, and a biblio- 
graphy of the early Canadia printers up to 
1820, and we have reason to believe that his 
volume may appear before many months. 

Dr. Neilson is one of the founders and first 
vice-president of the Kingston Historical So- 
ciety and for the second time president of the 
Mechanics' Institute; he is honorary member 
of the Numismatic and Historical Society of 
Montreal; of the Societa Araldicae Historica of 
Rome; of the Institut de Psychologic of Paris, 
etc., etc. He is hereditary Seigneur of the 



352 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



Seigniory of Hubert, in the province of Que- 
bec. His private residence is Glendornal, 
Neilsonville, P. Q. 

His medical sphere of action is strictly 
limited to the military under his immediate 
charge. Professional reading engrosses much 
of his time, being favored with an open, liber; 1 
and independent mind — unhampered by the 
dogmatic teachings of schools — new ideas and 
new methods enlist his sympathy, and if pos- 
sessed of merit are adopted by him ; lie has 
thus become an adept of the system of medi- 
cine known as Burgrasvian or Dosimetric — 
he has for years investigated the application of 
Hypnotism to the treatment of certain forms 
of disease. Under this head he has contributed 



articles to the " Revue de I'Hypnotism," pub- 
lished in Paris, which have attracted attention 
abroad. 

Dr. Neilson is unassuming, easily approach- 
ed, a man of many admirable traits of charac- 
ter. As a bibliographer he is probably not 
excelled in the country. From his library 
have come the excellent pictures of Count 
Frontenac and the Chevalier I.a Salle, which 
are reproduced in this volume ; two pictures 
that would be difficult to duplicate in Canada. 
Deputy Surgeon-General Neilson's services in 
tlie field have won for him merited promotion, 
but his real worth is best appreciated by those 
with whom he has served, and by those wiio 
know him best. 



MELZAR FOWLER. 



Melzar Fowler, now only dimly remem- 
b.'rcd by the older people of Jefferson county, 
Vi. Y., was born in Edinburgh, Saratoga 
county, N. Y., in 1S03, and came to Depau- 
ville in the early twenties with his parents, 
Anson Fowler and Maria Esselstyn Fowler. 
His sister Jane also accompanied them (she 
subsequently marrying Eldridge G. Merick), 
and her brother John. The father com- 
menced a mercantile business in Depauville, a 
new settlement wliicli had just begun to de- 
velop its lumbering interest. This settlement 
was on tlie rapids of Catfish Creek, which at 
that time was a stream of fair size, with suffi- 
cient water to float timber down to its mouth 
at Take Ontario — not at all resembling the 
greatly diminished stream it now appears, after 
having its banks, along its whole course, de- 
nuded of timber. The care of this business 
early fell upon Melzar, the eldest sOn, and 
when he was about twenty years of age he 
bore the responsibility of his father's mercan- 
tile affairs. 

After some years, wishing to extend his 
operations, Melzar established a store at 
Bfownville, and went there to live, still main- 
taining the supervision of the store at Depau- 
ville. His younger brother, John, also came 



to Brownville as a clerk, and was given an 
interest in the business. 

At that time one branch of Mr. Fowler's 
mercantile business was the manufacture of 
pearl ash from wood ashes. The forests of 
Jefferson county furnished the only fuel in 
those djys, and the people of the country 
saved their ashes and sold them to him, and, 
in a building for the purpose, he converted 
these ashes into pearl ash, which was an im- 
portant article of commerce, and found steady 
market in New York. 

Shortly after establishing himself at Brown- 
ville, Melzar married Miss Clarissa Spicer, a 
sister of Mr. Silas Spicer, of Perch River, and 
during their residence there their two child- 
ren, Eldridge and Nettie, were born. During 
these years Melzar enlarged his field of opera- 
tions at Dvipiiiville by engaging with Mr. 
Merick in the business of getting out oak 
timber and rafting it to the Quebec market. 
In the spring of 1835 he moved his family to 
Depauville, giving up the business in Brown- 
ville, in order tliat he might give his entire 
attention to the Depauville operations, and be 
with his aged parents, while John went to 
Clayton in the interest of Smith & Merick. 

At that early day, Watertown was, as it is 



JO/fJV .V. FOWr.ER. 



355 



now, the business center for the surrounding 
country, the only method of travel being by 
private conveyance. It was while going there 
on business in August, 1835, soon after the 
family moved to Depauville, that Mr. Fowler 
had the great misfortune to iiave a pair of 
horses, one of which was vicious and unre- 
liable. 

He stopped at a hotel, and when it came 
time to feed the animal the hostler was afraid 
to enter the stall, and called Mr. Fowler from 
the hotel, who at once look the feed-measure 
in his hand and entered the stall. The vic- 
ious horse, not recognizing his master, dealt 
him a blow with one of his forefeet, which 
proved fatal in three days. Everything was 
done for Mr. Fowler that could be known, 
but the blow had produced an internal 
rupture. 

Thus died, in the flower of his youth, and 
in the midst of his usefulness, one who had 
the warm regard of all his business associates, 
and whose morning of life was full of promise. 

It is remembered of Mr. Fowler that many 
farmers brought their sons to him to educate 
in mercantile pursuits, so great was their con- 
fidence in his possessing all the traits that 
would bring such youths into an earnest and 
successful manhood. 

His death, so sudden, so tragical, elicited 



universal regret and sympathy. His wife and 
her two children remained at DeiKiuville, but 
the faithful mother never was herself again. 
h. woman of superior mental ability and \itx- 
sonal beauty, and with a natural refinement 
much beyond most of those by whom she was 
surrounded, her loss wore upon her energies, 
and she survived her husband only seven years. 

The two children, Eldridge and Nettie, 
thus left orphans at the age of nine and seven 
years, respectively, were tenderly cared for by 
their grandmother Fowler and their uncle, 
Hon. E. G. Merick. 

Elridge went later to live in the family of 
Mr. Hugh Smith, of Perch River, and after- 
wards with his uncle John Fowler until com- 
ing of age, when he went West, where he has 
since lived and become indentified with large 
lumber and land interests in Michigan, Min- 
nesota and Canada. 

The daughter grew to womanhood in the 
home of her grandparents and her uncle and 
aunt Merick, receiving at their hands the best 
educational advantages. She married Cyrus 
H. McCormick, of reaper fame. Both as the 
right-hand helper of her husband during his 
life-time, and later in the administration of 
his estate (with her son Cyrus), she has been 
called to bear some of the heavier responsi- 
bilities of life. 



JOHN N. FOWLER. 



The writer of this sketch never had any 
personal acquaintance with the subject of it. 
For the facts stated herein he is indebted to 
several old residents of Clayton, chiefly the 
following, viz.: Thomas Rees, a partner of 
Mr. Fowler in some of his business enter- 
prises, who made a written statement of facts; 
Messrs. D. C. Porter and Perry Caswell, 
members of the M. E. Church with Mr. 
Fowler, who was a faitliful and substantial 
member of that church; A. F. Barker, John 
Johnston and Capt. William Rees. 

Th^ father of Mr. Fowler came from the 
eastern jsart of this State and settled in 
Depauville in the early part of this century. 



There he engaged in mercantile business and 
reared his family. In time, one of his daugh- 
ters became the wife of Hon. E. G. Merick, 
subject of a biographical sketch elsewhere in 
this volume. One of his sons, Melzar, was 
father of Nettie Fowler, afterwards the wife, 
and now the widow of Cyrus H. McCormick, 
of Chicago. A lady of great wealth, and 
whose generous heart and bountiful hand 
have justly earned her a reputation, of which 
it is no exaggeration to say it is national. 

John N. Fowler left Depauville in 1835, 
and came to Clayton. He jmrchased the in- 
terest of a Mr. Moreton in the old store of 
Smith & Merick, standing on the bank of the 



356 



A SOi'VENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



river, where Simon Breslow's store is now 
located. Stephen Hale, a clerk for Mr. 
Fowler for a few years, afterwards became 
his partner in the store. But Mr. Fowler 
could not confine himself to mere storekeep- 
ing. The country was new and rich in both 
soil and timber. In 1836 or 1837 he pur- 
chased several hundred acres of land lying 
about two miles south of Clayton. In a few 
years this wild land was converted into a 
farm, so well improved that the County 
Agricultural Society bestowed on its owner a 
first prize for his improvements. 

In 1844, Mr. Fowler formed a partnership 
with Henry Esselstyn under the name of 
Fowler & Esselstyn. The latter had for years 
been bookkeeper in the large lumbering busi- 
ness of E. G. Merick, and the business of 
Fowler & Esselstyn was carried on in con- 
junction, with his. It consisted of rafting and 
forwarding to the Quebec market a vast 
amount of timber and staves, brought to Clay- 
ton in vessels from the shores of the upper 
lakes, and in ship building. For many years 
they built one to four steamers and sailing 
vessels every year. All the following named, 
and many more, were built at their yard in 
Clayton, viz.: Bay State, Cataract and New 
York. The British Queen and British Em- 
pire, designed for use down the river, were 
built by them at Port Metcalf in Canada. 

During much of the time Mr. Fowler was 
so engaged with Mr. Merick, he dealt largely 
in real estate on his own separate account. 
He bought a large tract lying contiguous to 
Clayton, known as the Lawrence Lands. He 
disposed of the property to actual settlers, and 
invested the proceeds in timber-lands in the 



West ; and, as coincidently, the lumbering 
business of the firm was, year after year, ex- 
tending farther and farther westward, there 
was a constantly growing necessity to move 
the place of business in that direction. At 
first a branch office was opened in Detroit. 
But with Clayton as a base of operations, 
Detroit was found to be an inconvenient out- 
post with the means of communication then 
in vogue. And, more than this, Detroit had 
become a city, rapid in growth, brilliant in 
prospects, and already taking a prominent 
position in shipbuilding for the upper lakes. 
Cut off from that region by the small pro- 
portions of the Welland canal, and at great 
disadvantage in the matter of timber, not to 
speak of other important items in shipbuild- 
ing, little Clayton could no longer hold this 
great and enterprising firm. In 1856 their 
Clayton property and business was disposed 
of to Thomas Rees, and they moved to De- 
troit. There they opened an immense dry- 
dock and ship-yard, and continued lumbering 
operations in the West, under the firm name 
of Merick, Fowler & Esselstyn. 

The old acquaintances of Mr. Fowler still 
living in Clayton, speak of him as a man of 
great energy and wonderful endurance, a 
strict church member, a public spirited citi- 
zen, an honorable man and one highly exact 
in his requirements of others, while holding 
himself bound by the same rule of conduct. 
To him may be applied this grand and safe 
rule of excellence and ability — in every sta- 
tion where he was known, boy or man, and in 
whatever he undertook, he measured fully up 
to the requirements of the occasion. That is 
a test which can be applied to but few men. 

G. H. s. 



THE SPICER FAMILY. 



Standing well up from the river's edge, on 
Hemlock Island, one mile west of Thousand 
Island Park, is the cottage shown above, 
built in the winter of 1875-6, being one of the 
earliest upon the river. It is the summer 
home of Hon. Henry Spicer, for nearly his 



whole lifetime a resident of Perch River, 
N. Y. 

The Spicer family was one of the early ar- 
rivals in Jefferson county, and trace theii 
lineage in an unbroken descent from three 
brothers, natives of Normandy, who came into 




THE CONSTANT READER. 



THE SPICER FAM//. V. 



.SS9 



England as "gentlemen volunteers" with 
William the Conquerer. These brothers set- 
tled respectively in Devonshire, Warwick and 
Kent, England. The two who settled in 
Devonshire and Warwick still have descend- 
ants residing there. In the 36th year of 
Queen Elizabeth's reign (1594) an account is 
given of this family, from their first '"being 
officers and magistrates of the honorable city 
of Exeter, beginning with the first year of 
England's first Edward (1273) and continuing 
to the 7th year of Queen Anne (170S); and 



honorable a city, continuing for so long a 
course of years, their estate being also equiva- 
lent to their antiquity — they having also be- 
stowed a considerable one on the chamber of 
Exeter, to uphold its guardian." In 1357 it 
is further related that " the Black Prince (son 
of Edward III) came out of France bringing 
with him prisoner. King John of France, 
whom he had taken a little time before at 
Poictiers. He landed at Plymouth, and came 
to Exeter, where John Spicer was mayor, who 
received the prince and his prisoner with much 




" GI.EN'-COVE " CO I'TAGE, HEMLOCK ISLAND. 



during the whole of these 435 years some one 
of the Spicer family was mayor of Exeter. Of 
this illustrious line " John Spicer " was mayor 
from 1252 to 1359 — 107 years, though, of 
course, there were several individual "Johns." 
In an accurate account of the ancient fam- 
ily of Spicers, taken from an original manu- 
script extracted from a description of the 
County of Devon, A. D., 1714, we learn that "but 
few families in England can show such a pre- 
cedent of the office of mayor of so ancient and 



display." It is further related that the "fam- 
ily of Spicers in the times of the three Edwards 
were principal officers and magistrates of 
Exeter, and were then considered for their 
many and gentlemanly qualities and virtues ; 
for in those days such men for their virtues and 
not for their wealth, were magistrates and 
governors, and in all places of trust." 

Members of this distinguished family were 
in Jamestown, Va., in 1618, and in Rhode 
Island in 1660. They were also settled in the 



360 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



vicinity of Stonington, Conn., until after th; 
Revolutionary War. They were both officers 
and privates in tlie Continental Army, and 
fought from Bunker Hill to Saratoga. They 
came into New York in 1792, and into Jeffer- 
son county in 181 2. 

The Esselstyns. 

The author of this volutne has had access 
to papers, well authenticated, which show that 
the Esselstyn family (commencing with King 
Clovis in 500 A. D.) were of the same stock 
as those of that name who came to America, 
but the date of their arrival in this country is 
yet uncertain. 

The Chittendens. 

Another fact he has discovered, that the 
Chittenden family are related to tlie Essels- 
tyns and the Fowlers. Thomas Chittenden, 
a linen weaver, came with his son Isaac into 
America in 1635 from Wapping, in Kent, 
England, settling in Plymouth county, Mass., 
and his descendants are still found there. 
William Ciiittenden was one of the company 
of twenty-five, gathered chiefly from Kent, 
Surrey and Sussex in the South of England, 
who determined to leave their native country 
and seek a new home in the wilderness of 
America. Their first recorded acts as a sepa- 
rate community was a covenant which they 
signed on ship-board, while on the passage, 
binding each other to plant themselves in 
New England, near Quinnipiack, if possible, 
and to be helpful to each other in every com- 
mon work, according to every man's ability. 



and as need should require. Besides William 
Chittenden there were twenty- four other sign- 
ers to this agreement, and, so far as history 
has been able to indicate, it was solemnly kept. 

This William Chittenden had several chil- 
dren born to him in England. His wife was 
Joanna Sheaffe, whose sister Dorothy was the 
wife of Rev. Henry Whitfield, the first minis- 
ter and a leading member of the Guilford 
Colony. The date of William Chittenden's 
sixth child's birth is upon the Guilford record, 
as of November 15, 1649. February i, 1660, 
he died. He was undoubtedly the progenitor 
of the older families of his name in the United 
States, and the Chittendens of Oneida and 
Jefferson county undoubtedly sprang from 
this stock. 

Joseph Chittenden, son of Joseph, who was 
descended in a direct line from the original 
William, was aged 92 when he died, April 7, 
1794. Lucy, his daughter, born at Guilford 
October 8, 1736, married Melzar Fowler, 
March 10, 176S. He was the progenitor of 
the Fowler family in Jefferson county, known 
so well at Clayton, and represented in this 
history by the biographical sketch of John 
Fowler and his brother Melzar, this latter 
being the father of Mrs. Nettie F. McCor- 
mick. This family and the Esselstyns are 
related through the fact that Anson Chit- 
tenden, born December 18, 1768 (son of 
the above-named Lucy Fowler), married 
Maria Esselstyn, and in that way the F"owlers, 
Esselstyns and Chittenden families of Jeffer- 
son county are related to one another by mar- 
riage. 



GEORGE IVIORTIIVIER PULLMAN 



Was born upon a farm in Chautauqua 
county, N. Y.. March 3, 1831. His parents 
were in moderate circumstances, and able to 
give him only the benefits of the local schools, 
which were, however, of good quality. His 
home training was such as to aid him in the 
formation of fixed habits of industry and 
firmly-settled principles of morality and in- 
tegrity. While not of a large frame, he yet 



possessed an unusual quantity of what we 
demonstrate " grit " or fibre. On the whole, 
it may be said that his primary schooling was 
peculiarly adapted for the life he was to lead, 
where independent reliance was of more value, 
coupled with integrity, than any number of 
college diplomas. At seventeen, he went to 
Albion, N. Y., where an older brother was 
already established as a cabinet-maker. Here 



GEORCE MORT[.\rER Pri.J.ArAN. 



1>^1 



he served wluit was to liiin a \er\- ini])oitant a ^k:w dollars of his own to begin business 

apprenticeship, for he learned what could be with. About a year later au opportunity was 

done usefully as well as ornamentally with presented to make an addition to his already 

wood and wooden fibre, and grew into en- steadily increasing capital. The widening of 

larged ideas as to the varied appliances of the Erie canal necessitated the removal of 

upholstering. All this was to be of use to hiui many buildings of various kinds upon its banks 

at a later day ; but with his lessons in taste to more desirable locations, and the ([uick. 




GEORGE MORTIMER PULLMAN. 



and the like, he acquired much information 
of another kind. He learned sometliing of 
engineering and mechanics, and through a 
series of minor experiences he acquired strong 
confidence in his own ability for devising 
mechanical ways and means. He prospered 
pecuniarily, through constant thrift and in- 
dustry, so that upon becoming of age he had 



active brain of this rising young man and 
future financier suggested a possibility of the 
task being easily accomplished. He made a 
success of it financially, and obtained an ex- 
perience that was a benefit to him in his future 
career. Other contracts followed, and for a 
time house-moving was his specialty, but he 
was also successful in other lines of business. 



364 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



In 1859 a new idea began to develop in liis 
mind, and a series of experiments followed. 
The railroad system of the United States was 
yet in the first stages of its development, and 
its management had been marked by the most 
pernicious economy. Improvements began at 
once, for the first American locomotive, de- 
signed and built by Peter Cooper, at Balti- 
more, was especially adapted to American 
roads. The primitive "strap-rail," spiked 
u|)on a log, had given place to the heavy T 
rail. The later cars were more comfortable. 
The process of consolidation had begun ; for 
the seven roads across middle New York had 
become one corporation, known as the New 
York Central. Other extensions were going 
on, and so the days of express companies;, 
through-freight lines and improved passenger 
cars were approaching. During 1S58 Mr 
Pullman's attention had been especially drawn 
to the long-distance sleeping-car idea. The 
sleeping accommodations afforded passengers 
were but enlarged copies of the bunks on the 
passenger packets of the Erie canal — three 
tiers on each side of the car. 

The thoughts which began to germinate 
during one night's ride on one of these primi- 
tive coaches did not come into sight until the 
following year. He began a series of pre- 
liminary experiments by remodeling two day- 
coaches on the Chicago and Alton road, and 
afterward did the same on the old Galena 
road. He was a pioneer, and met with little 
encouragement. The sleeping-cars were in- 
variably the property of the road they ran on, 
and their trips were limited to their own rails. 
No attention had been given to the idea of 
making long-distance railroading enjoyable. 
Its discomforts were considered unavoidable, 
and regarded as a matter of course. An en- 
tirely different conception of the future of 
American passenger transportation had now 
taken possession of Mr. Pullman. With only 
limited mechanical skill, he had acquired a 
large fund of varied mechanical knowledge, 
much of which was in the direct line of his 
proposed invention. 

It was not until 1863 that he was prepared to 
devote himself entirely to his new enterprise ; 



a shop was hired, and under his personal 
supervision the details were carried out. It 
required long months of toil, and the changes 
were radical, for he was not merely thinking of 
show. The powerful springs required to se- 
cure steadiness to the sleeping-car was an in- 
novation, and the beds and general outfit 
were to be as good as in a first-class hotel. 
Only a faint idea of the improvement was ex- 
pressed by tlie fact that while one of the old 
" rattlers " cost $4,000, Car A, the pioneer of 
the Pullman cars, cost $18,000. This apparent 
extravagance secured many conveniences and 
luxuries as well as safety to life and limb. 
The improvements were readily accepted by 
the travelling public as a convenience of which 
it seemed they had so long been deprived, i. e., 
relief from fatigue, pure air, safety in travel- 
ling, cleanliness, refreshments by the way — 
and, in fact, a moving hotel, rolling over the 
road, across the continent. This was the 
result of this man's genius. 

We have not adequate space in which to 
describe the increase in the sleeping-car 
business which came to Mr. Pullman after 
his fine cars were put upon the leading lines in 
the United States. Their construction re- 
quired the equipment of several shops, but 
these works could not keep pace with the de- 
mand. The result was his founding a new 
town, in the suburbs of Chicago, and the city 
of Pullman has been the result of his efforts in 
that direction. He than became a car-builder, 
for the public can at any time have freight, 
passenger or sleeping-cars built at that 
place. The city of Pullman covers over 
3,500 acres of ground, and there are con- 
centrated all the conveniences of a great 
city. 

Considered financially, the business success 
of Mr. Pullman is hardly exceeded by that of 
any other living nian. Other men are his 
peers in railway enterprises or exceed him in 
accumulated wealth, but the distinguishing 
feature of his own achievement is its origi- 
nality. He saw a coming demand for the 
very best sleeping and drawing-room -car that 
could be built, and he developed it by the 
very fact of supplying it. During the year 








?^^- ■• -.4,. 




CASrl.E REST, GEO. M. PULLMAN S RESIDENCE. 



COL. O. G. STAPLES. 3^7 

ending July i, 1892, the Pullman cars carried the manner in which i mental picture, u mere 

5,279,320 passengers. conception but yet a germinal thought, aris- 

The shop town of PtiUman and the palace- ing in the mind of a capable man, may be 

hotel-car system, taken together, present an eliminated and practically applied for the 

exceedingly readable illustration of the great lasting benefit of mankind, as well as for the 

marvel of human life and work ; that is, of perpetuation of his own name. 



COL. O. C. STAPLES, 

BUILDER OI'' THE THOUSAND ISLAND HOUSE. 



One of the most marvelous enterprises of under such untoward circumstances, and it 
Northern New York was the conception of marked him as a Napoleon of finance, 
building a first-class watering place hotel at At the time it was done, in 1872, Alexan- 




COL O. G. STAPLES. 



Alexandria Bay, and Its successful erection and dria Bay was chiefly known as the home of 

furnishing by Col. G. Staples, who at that Azariah Walton, the fisherman story-teller 

time was not worth a dollar clear of his debts. and entertainer of New York celebrities who 

Certainly nothing short of the highest business came to the St. Lawrence River for a week or 

genius could have accomplished the feat so ot outing, disporting themselves by .niter- 



368 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAlVKEyCE RIVER. 



nate hours of fishing and hearing Uncle 
Azariah tell stories. The ])resent world-wide 
celebrity of the Thousand Islands and the 
sublimely placid scenery of the St. Lawrence 
archipelago were no more thought of by the 
people at large then we now think of making 
a tropical paradise in the Adirondacks. We 
know of only one man who then read correctly 
the grand future of the St. Lawrence River 
and its transcendant charms. That man was 
O. G. Staples, and with the boldness of 
Napoleon at the bridge of Lodi, he took hold 
of the enterprise of building and furnishing a 
hundred thousand dollar hotel without a 
salted dollar of capital of his own, with only 
two endorsers of moderate means, and he 
would have succeeded in paying for it had his 
creditors been a little more patient and for- 
bearing. But some one got in a hurry and 
'' lit on him," and that caused the whole flock 
to light down at once. Li the litigations that 
followed he worsted many of his creditors, 
whom he would gladly have paid had they 
given more time, and actually saved to him- 
self fully §80,000 of the cost of the hotel 
structure and furnishings, enabling him to 
take a lease and furnish Willard Hotel, at 
Washington, out of which, during the past 
eighteen years, he has made half a million of 
dollars — establishing the fact that he " knows 
how to keep a hotel," said to be one of the 
highest indications of accomplished wisdom. 
The opening of the Thousand Island House 
was the "open sesame" to the beginning of 
the present era of the St. Lawrence River 
visitations from all quarters of the globe. It 
is unquestionably the most expansive, the 
most calmly beautiful region, affording the most 
charming social delights, both day and night, 



that the round earth affords. That this 
should have all been foreseen by this enter- 
prising young man, is of itself evidence of 
genius of almost prophetic order. Advertis- 
ing the hotel, necessarily took in the river 
scenery. The successor to Mr. Staples, in 
running the Thousand Island House, told the 
writer that it was the best-advertised hotel in 
the United States. He said everybody knew 
of it, and whoever came once desired to come 
again, and the thousands that came the first 
summer it was opened told their neighbors of 
the grand delights of the region, and the next 
year other thousands were added, and so year 
by year the throng swelled. Associations were 
organized, islands were purchased for parks 
and private residences, till now from five to 
six thousand people migrate hither for tem- 
porary summer habitation, and not less than 
from fifty to a hundred thousand people visit 
the region for a week or a day's recreation. 
The land holders of these evergreen islands, 
worthless for agriculture, have sold hundreds 
of thousands of dollars' worth, and if the 
islands have not all changed hands, it was not 
for the want of an opportunity. The Waltons 
and Cornwalls, who owned many of them 
thirty years ago, are under great obligations to 
the genius, enterprise and daring of O. G. 
Staples in conceiving, building and advertis- 
ing the Thousand Island House — the first 
grand step to the consummation of the pre- 
sent renown and glory of the St. Lawrence 
River region. All Northern New York, our 
farmers, our railroads, our builders and our 
furniture dealers have been greatlv benefited 
by the prophetic foresight of the builder of 
the Thousand Island House, and his face be- 
longs to the history of the section. 






PICTURESQUE KINGSTON. 



PON pages 124 to 132 will be found an esting, as may be seen in the able writ- 
article relating to tlie grand historic ings of Dr. Neilson, of the Royal Artillery, 
city of Kingston, and upon pages 28 to 35 a gentleman whose face we are very glad to 
will also be found an interesting 
and ably-written article entitled 
"Canada's West Point." With 
these contributions we might have 
been expected to say no more about 
Kingston ; but a late visit to that 
" ancient and honorable'" town has 
satisfied us that we had only just 
entered upon the subject of pre- 
senting the city of Kingston in a 
manner worthy of its ancient his- 
tory and its present growth and 
standing. It has been called a 
"slow" town, a "finished" town, 
but a ride among its modern im- 
provements, its beautiful private 
residences and public buildings 
will demonstrate its proper status 
as one of the best built and most 
progressive towns in Canada. 

It has one of the finest and best 
adapted printing offices in America 
— complete in all its details, a gem 
in the eye of a practical printer. 
One of its churches has the finest 
spire between the two oceans, a 
real " tiling of beauty," and, there- 
fore, a " joy forever." Its public 
buildings are imposing and upon 
a arand scale of excellence; its 
people are hospitable, intelligent, 
patriotic. Art is not forgotten, 
for it has one of the ablest photographers present in this volume, with one of his latest 
(Mr. Henderson) to be found in any country; productions. Thus much we desired to say 
and its contributions to contemporaneous as a preface for the many illustrations which 
literature are classical and unusually inter- follow. 




E. J. IS. I'ENSE, EDITOR WHIG, KINGSTON. 




^1. I Al 1. ^, A.Nca.lCAN, ItKV. W. li. CAREY, KINCSTON. 




ST. GEORGE'S CATHEDRAL, VERY REV. IJ. li. S.MITII, UEA.N; REV. G. R. IIEA.MISII, A.SalSlA.XT. 

KINGSTON, ONT. 



5 '^ 

- 6 





ST. MAUY S CArilKlJKAl,, KhNGSTON. 




RKSrUlCNCE lil'" UK. l.AVKI.I,, WARUKN KINGSTON I'RNITRNTIARY . 



^fiX? 





0\ ^^ 



Ml rill 

nil Hllil [l" 




CHALMERS I'RESliVlERIAN CHrRCH, RE'W M. M AC(;i Il.l \ RAY. KINGSTON. ONI". 




COURT HOUSE, KINGSTON, ONT 



LA SALLF. — FROM A RARE ENGRAVING. 



MORE ABOUT KINGSTON. 



|HEN Major Durham prepared his ex- 
cellent article relating to modern 
Kingston (see p. 124), we had not then pro- 
cured the fine illustrations which precede this 
article, and for which we are indebted to Mr. 
Pense, editor of the Whig. We cannot spare 
the space for a lengthy description of all the 
individual buildings and views, which appear 
in this chapter, but we are fortunate in being 
able to give a somewhat lengthy account of 
Mr. Pense's office-building just completed, 
and considered the finest in the Provinces — 
indeed its wonderful adaptation to the wants 
of a large daily newspaper would make it a 
fine addition to any city in America. 

We copy the following from the Whig's able 
contemporary, " Pen and Scissors," of Toronto. 
The writer says: 

"At a time when Kingston rested on its 
garrison and its wealthy men put their money 
in banks or mortgages, it was said of the city 
that the penitentiary represented its morality 
and the newspaper press its enterprise. While 
this was unduly severe on the fourth estate, 
which has been fairly representative of the 
importance of the city, it is nevertheless true 
that the Kingston papers have made great 
strides, still it is questionable if any place of 
20,000 people, in an isolated locality, can 
produce journals of equal merit. 

" The latest stride has been made by the 
' Whig,' which has just entered upon its sixty- 
second year as lively as in the hey-day of its 
youth, when it was founded with the distinct 
purpose of fighting the old Family Compact. 
Thirty years ago it was taken in hand by its 
present publisher, Edward J. B. Pense, at a 
crisis in its history. Opposition had reduced 
it to almost its last resource, but it was soon 



built up again to a firm standing and has 
never since known a difficulty. Under Dr. 
Barker, its first publisher, it was for thirty- 
eight years a journal characterized by manly 
spirit and critical acumen, of which the vet- 
eran editor was a master. For the last twenty 
years as a Liberal ]japer it has been distin- 
guished as a newspaper in the first place, and 
secondly, for staunch support of its party, 
coupled with an independent generous spirit 
which made it friends on both sides and has 
led to its uncommon prosperity. The aim of 
the publisher has been to show that honor 
and truth can be sustained in a journalistic 
career, notwithstanding a hundred daily 
temptations, just as faithfully as in any other 
private or public career. Therefore, the 
' Whig' has retained the respect of all classes. 

" The week ending 30th March, 1895, was 
the first its staff occupied the new building on 
King street, Kingston, fronting the public 
square, an ideal location for a newspaper, 
close to the city hall and all city departments, 
to the railway stations, leading hotels, post- 
office, custom house and express offices. 
Upon the lot, fifty by one hundred, a hand- 
some building has been erected, the materials 
of the front being Credit Valley stone and 
red pressed brick. 

" The first floor is a semi-basement, afford- 
ing room for six cylinder presses in a row, 
besides half a dozen other machines. The 
power is supplied by electric motor, with gas 
motor as reserve and auxiliary power. The 
furnace room is entirely cut off from the press 
room, as also is a room for the street carriers. 
The main floor is reached by a hall-way twelve 
feet wide with English tile for floor and onyx 
tile dado with embossed border, on the walls. 



390 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



The entrance and business offices combined cient space' for all the stationery that could 

are in line with the handsomest in the coun- possibly be required. The rear of that floor 

try. The furniture of the latter is new in its is occupied by the job printing department, 

way; the counters (of original design) and desks and its brightness makes it a very pleasant 

are of polished oak with cabinets to match. work room. In this department are to be 

The publisher's room is well-furnished and seen not only a very large stock of type, but. 



O O 'O 




THE KINGSTON "WHIG's" NEW HOME. 



has oak mantel and fire place of red Tennes- 
see marble and iron fittings with gas log. The 
partitions, as indeed all the work of the build- 
ing, are in light woods oiled. The glass, both 
in windows and partitions, is in the latest 
style and used without stint, still there is not a 
dark corner in the building. At the back of 
the public office is the stock room, with suffi- 



the latest ideas in wood cabinets and other 
conveniences. 

" The third floor is occupied by the news- 
paper department chiefly. The three edito- 
rial rooms are roomy, bright and attractive, 
probably the pleasantest offices in the city. 
The composing room affords conveniences for 
sixteen men and for three publications, daily, 



MORE ABOUT KINGSTON. 



393 



semi-weekly and weekly. On this lloor there 
is also a large room for bindery, as well as a 
bindery stock room. 

"On the fourth floor there is a lodge hall, 
50 X 32, with ante-rooms. Every one of the 
working departments is independent of the 
other, all opening into the main hall, so that 
they are reached with the greatest facility. 
This facility is increased by modern systems. 
Warehouse telephones throughout the build- 
ing, and basket carriers convey copy from 
front to rear of the building on both floors. 
The system of heating is direct and indirect, 
by steam; ventilation is effected by a fan 
worked by electric motor, which draws the 
air down to the basement and expels it. The 
lighting is by combination gas and electricity. 
An elevator carries type-forms and other heavy 
materials from floor to floor. 

"The interior construction is of iron, the 
first of the class in Kingston. The ceilings 
are all of stamped iron, in handsome panels 
and designs. The floors are double, with 
hard wood polished for upper surface. The 
plumbing is exposed, and like the rest of the 
equipment and plans — up to date. A stand- 
pipe furnishes water for fire hose on each flat 
in the halls. 

'■ The Whig's large circulation (for a local 
paper) has enabled it to prosper and thus 
secure comfortable quarters, and few of those 
who know the industry of the staff, as well as 
the energy they apply to business, will envy 
them the distinction and comfort that the 
building affords. The ' Whig ' may not un- 
reasonably claim the handsomest and most 
complete newspaper building in Canada. Its 
description may be interesting to other pub- 
lishers, as showing some new ideas as the re- 
sult of study and practical test. 

"The present publisher began as city re- 
porter at the age of fifteen, and eight years 
later, after managing the paper for several 
years, purchased it for $7,500, entirely upon 
credit, without a dollar of capital or financial 
backing. His success has been steady and 
substantial. He saw the necessity of new de- 
partures, and the paper underwent a complete 
change. Its identity in journalism became 



more marked, its opinions more aggressive, its 
political influence more potent and direct. 
As the ex|Jonent of Liberal ])rinciples it is 
credited with being largely instrumental in 
educating the people, so that parties became 
more evenly balanced than ever before. Mr. 
Pense, in short, is a born journalist, and he 
has, in the exercise of a reasonable ambition 
and by a persistency of purpose, made The 
Whig one of the best papers in Canada. Its 
circulation and its usefulness have been in- 
creased tenfold; with every department of the 
business he is familiar. In editorial as well 
as practical work he is expert. Every advan- 
tage he has gained is the legitimate result of 
energy and ability. In some sense, therefore, 
he is a representative Canadian in the fourth 
estate. 

" Withal, none has led a more active public 
life. For five years he served as an alder- 
man, and when elected mayor was the young- 
est man who had filled the position. He sat 
for six years on the public school board, and 
was twice given the chairmanship. He has 
served thirteen years on the Collegiate Insti- 
tute Board, and for two years as chairman. 
He has been president of the Young Men's 
Liberal Club for seven years ; is the president 
of the Kingston Reform Association and of St. 
George's Society, being recalled for the third 
time since 1S78; was president of the Kingston 
Lacrosse Club for many active seasons, as 
well as of several other clubs; is now presi- 
dent of the Kingston Athletic Association; 
was master of Minden Masonic Lodge in 
1878 and 1879; has been warden of St. James' 
Church, and lay delegate to the Synod of 
Ontario for over fifteen years, and has been 
prominent in church building and in creating 
parochial improvements; conducted the nego- 
tiations which led to the settlement of the 
medical co-education difficulties, and was 
president of the Kingston Women's Medical 
College, the first of the order in Canada; is a 
life governor of the Kingston General Hos- 
pital, and while chairman in 1892 and 1893, 
promoted several new buildings and general 
improvements; was president of the Canadian 
Press Association in 188 1-2, when the enjoya- 



394 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



ble excursion into Manitoba occurred, and 
Pense Station was named in memory of the 
visit. He has had a working part in estab- 
lishing the new dairy and veterinary schools, 
as chairman of the committee; he is part pro- 
prietor and president of Carnovsky Wood Work- 
ing Co.; is a vice-president of the Kingston 
Infants' Home ; and yet withal he has never 
canvassed personally for an office, save inev- 
itably for the City Council." 

He has appeared to the writer as a man of 
great earnestness of purpose. Steadily ap- 
proaching the end he has in view, governed al- 
ways by the strictest integrity, and entertaining 
high ideals as to what a newspaper as well as 
its editor ought to be. These traits have 



brought him as an active co-worker into all 
the best growth and life of modern Kingston. 
No movement there which appeals to the hu- 
manitarian, the advancement of the city's 
interests along the lines of Christian endeav- 
ors, or of high public improvement, has failed 
to command the support of his newspaper and 
the best personal efforts of himself. Evi- 
dently he is worthy of all the success and the 
high honors bestowed upon him, for he has 
proven himself a safe and honorable and 
talented man — entirely devoted to his news- 
paper, his family, and to Kingston. Such a 
man should be treasured — we feel quite sure 
he is appreciated in the city of his nativity 
and of his best ambitions. 



CARLETON VILLA. 



AN IDEAL SUMMER HOME. 



OTANDING on the peninsula-like head of 
^ — ' Carleton Island, so named in honor of 
Sir Guy Carleton, — afterward Lord Dor- 
chester, on what was known in 1778 as 
" Government Point," is the summer residence 
of Mr. W. O. Wyckoff, President of the 
Wyckoff, Seamans & Benedict Company, of 
New York, better known, perhaps, from their 
connection with the manufacture of the cele- 
brated Remington Typewriter. To this resi- 
dence he has given the very appropriate name 
of Carleton Villa. Its situation, for many 
reasons, would be difficult to improve. In 
its immediate front the broad expanse of the 
American branch of the St. Lawrence divides 
into two channels of more than a mile each 
in width, flowing away on either hand, form- 
ing two beautiful bays which afford ample 
security for the pleasure-craft moored therein, 
natural harbors whose picturesque shores add 
much to the beauty of the scene, lying on 
either side of an isthmus which connects the 
old "Government Point" with the mainland 
of the island itself. To these are given the 
names, respectively, of " North " and " South " 
Bays. In front of the villa, the view stretches 
out on the vast expanse of Lake Ontario. To 



the left, one gets a pleasant view of the village 
of Cape Vincent, almost hidden in a forest 
of maples, and a view of the mainland of the 
American shore for miles down the river, 
while on the right stretches away the broad 
expanse of Wolfe Island, beyond which, in 
the distance, are plainly seen the spires and 
towers of the city of Kingston, once the capi- 
tal of Canada. 

Just back of us rises a steep bluff to a 
height of some sixty feet, on which are the 
ruins of Fort Haldimand, built by the British 
in 1778; and which was captured by the 
Americans in 1812. One hundred and fifteen 
years ago this was a busy place. It was the 
most important point above Montreal. It was 
the great naval and military station of the 
lake and river. So great was its importance 
that Fort Frontenac, now Kingston, hitherto 
the most noted of any point above Montreal, 
was for years entirely neglected, while Fort 
Haldimand and the navy yard which it pro- 
tected was an object of the greatest interest. 
The history of Carleton Island would form a 
most interesting bit of old-time reminiscence, 
if written by itself; but it must be omitted for 
the present. Aside from the interesting his- 




..vV" 



CARLE TON VILLA. 



397 



tory it affords, the locality is one to be chosen 
because of its healthfulness. There is no 
malaria. The air is pure and bracing even in 
the midst of the heated term. The death rate 
of Cape Vincent, according to the statistics 
found in the report of the State Board of 
Health, averages only eight per i,ooo per an- 
num. There are no insect pests. Mosquitos 
are unknown, and to add to the attractiveness 
of the location, it is in the midst of the finest 
fishing in the world. Muscalonge, black bass, 
pike and pickerel abound in every direction. 
It is an ideal home for a sportsman. Num- 
bering down the river, Carleton Villa is the 
first of the Thousand Island cottages, and in 
point of elegance of design and completeness 
of finish, it is easily first among all the sum- 
mer palaces on the river. All others, includ- 
ing the celebrated " Castle Rest " and " Grey- 
stone Villa," must take second place. In a 
brief article, as this must necessarily be, it is 
by no means easy to convey a very clear con- 
ception of this elegant structure, and hence 
an outline must suffice. 

The Villa. 
Imagine a building 102.7 in length by 73.8 
feet wide, and four stories in height, with 
huge bay windows on each side, giving a cruci- 
form effect to the general plan. Great crypts 
of cellars extend underneath the entire struc- 
ture. Here is a gas-room, fitted with one of 
Terrill's equalizers, vifhich supplies illuminat- 
ing gas to every part of the house; an extensive 
laundry with all its appurtenances; a huge re- 
frigerator, with room for a ton or more of ice. 
Then comes the furnace room, fitted with two 
heaters furnished by the American Boiler 
Company; then there is an iron shop, a car- 
penter shop, a coal room, a canned-goods 
storeroom, and a vegetable cellar. All this 
in the basement. In the rear of the next or 
first floor is the servants' dining-room, con- 
nected at this point with the tower by one of 
the "bridge rooms," of which there are two. 
Then comes an ample kitchen, 16 x 20 feet in 
size, completely furnished, as are also the 
roomy pantries adjoining. These would win 
the heart of any good housekeeper at sight. 



The Main Hall 

is elegance itself. It is a room sixty by eigh- 
teen, extending to a height of two stories. It 
is surrounded by a gallery resting on beauti- 
ful Doric columns below, while the ceiling is 
supported by forty Corinthian columns dis- 
posed in pairs, connected by a tasteful balus- 
trade. .\\\ these columns, as well as the 
entire woodwork of the house excepting the 
floors, are of whitewood, elegantly finished 
and polished. The great fireplace in the hall 
is a marvel of simplicity and beauty. The 
tiling is plain, of light cream color, with gilt 
molding; engaged columns on each side sup- 
port a heavy entablature, above which the 
great chimney is enclosed with panel work; the 
whole, exquisitely finished, as it is, produces a 
fine effect. On the south side of the hall is 
the library, or, as it is familiarly called, the 
"den," a spacious room, elegantly fitted up 
and supplied witli well-filled book cases, writ- 
ing tables, and in fact every thing that adds 
to the comfort and convenience of such a 
room. The library looks out on the broad 
porch, and commands a delightful view of 
river and lake. 

Across the hall is the spacious dining-room, 
oval in shape and eighteen by thirty feet in 
size. A parlor eighteen by eighteen, is also 
on this side of the hall. There are grates in 
both parlor and dining-room. Extending 
across the entire front of the building and on 
its south side as far as the library, is the grand 
porch, about twenty feet in width, supported, 
as is the whole building, on a massive wall of 
Gouverneur marble. Four heavy granite 
pillars support the roof in front, while the 
main entrance is from a double flight of mar- 
ble steps beneath an archway of the same 
material, fifteen feet in width, flanked on each 
side by a marble column of the Corinthian 
order. The whole front is peculiarly grand 
and imposing. The lower floors are of oak 
laid in cement, while all the upper floors are 
maple, deadened with the same material. 
The walls of the building above the Gouver- 
neur marble are of Portland cement, and the 
entire structure is practically fire-proof. 



398 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



The second floor contains the family rooms, 
all of which are en suite. From the second 
floor up, oriel windows grace the corners of 
the main building, and from every room there 
is a beautiful view. Each room has that one 
thing dearest to a woman's heart — an ample 
closet. Elegant bath-rooms abound every- 
where. The furniture throughout corres- 
ponds with the finish of the building; birds'- 
eye maple being predominant. Nothing dark, 
dull, nor gloomy. The servants' sleeping 
apartments are on this floor, in the rear of 
the building. Their rooms are equally pleas- 
ant; there is not a forbidding room in the 
whole villa. The gallery already mentioned 
is on this floor, and from it and the vestibule 
every chamber, except the servants' rooms, 
is reached. The third floor is occupied by 
the guest chambers, all finished and furnished 
in the elaborate style which characterizes 
every other part of the house. In the fourth 
story are great store-rooms, though its crown- 
ing glory is a splendid billiard-room with all 
its appurtenances, available for either a game 
of French caroms or of pool. Beginning in 
rear of the great hall below, a broad oaken 
stair-case winds its Avay to the floors above 
by easy stages and roomy landings. Chande- 
liers and gas fixtures abound everywhere. 
Once lighted, the building will seem as if illu- 
minated. 

Separate from the main building is a tower 
III feet in height, and i6xi6 feet at its base. 
The basement room of the tower contains 
the pumping engine which sends the water 
into the great tanks above, whence it reaches 
every part of the building. Above this is a 
work-room, and then come the great water- 
tanks stored with more than two hundred 
barrels of water. The tower is connected 
with the main building by two bridges, on 



each of which is an elegant room familiarly 
designated as the "bridge-room." 

During the entire season brilliant gas-lights 
will burn' in the observatory of the tower 
every night, and it will not be long ere they 
will become a well-known signal to the lake 
navigator. From this observatory at the 
summit of the tower one of the most delight- 
ful views of lake, river and shore is obtainable.- 
The village of Cape Vincent, three miles away, 
seems to be close at hand, while the spires 
and towers of Kingston, ten miles away as the 
crow flies, stand clearly in view. It is, in- 
deed, a charming prospect. 

Throughout the entire building the win- 
dows are of heavy plate glass, and, indeed, 
there is nothing lacking in any spot or place 
that can be in any way conducive to the com- 
fort of either the family or its guests, that has 
not been thought of and supplied. 'I'he term 
" palatial " has become very common, as ap- 
plied to everything among the Thousand 
Islands, from a steam yacht up to a summer 
residence, but to " Carleton Villa" the term 
applies with all that it signifies. 

Mr. Wyckoff may well be proud of his 
summer home, not only because of its quiet 
and substantial elegance, but because it affords 
delight to others, in that it appeals to their 
truest artistic instincts because of its harmony 
of proportion and of color, demonstrating the 
fact that strength, solidity and massiveness 
may be also graceful. 

As a setting to the great farm which lies 
back of it, and the steading near at hand, it 
harmonizes well. It is not the farm house, of 
course, but it is a fitting farm residence for an 
American gentleman of means whose broad 
domain lies around him, and who delights in 
passing at least a portion of his time thereon 
in rural pleasures. 



LA SALLE. 

In 1643, at Rouen, in France, was born latter affix being the name of an estate near 

Robert Cavalier, better known by the desig- Rouen, belonging to the Cavaliers. His edu- 

nation of La Salle. His name in full was cation was liberal, and he early manfested the 

Rene-Robert Cavalier, Sieur de la Salle — the traits which afterwards made him so illustrious. 



LA SALLE. 



40 r 



He was a Catholic in faith, and a member of 
the order of Jesuits. He had an elder brother 
in Canada, and this fact doubtless shaped his 
destinies, for in the spring of 1666, in his 23d 
year, we find him in Canada, where the Semi- 
nary of St. Sulpice, a corporation of French 



em New York, who had already, notwithstand- 
ing their other vast possessions in America, 
began to feel a desire to possess Canada, and 
thus extend their sway — as it is seen to day — 
from Newfoundland to the Northern Pacific 
and Arctic Oceans. In La Salle they per- 



priests, had already made a settlement under ceived a young man of fine appearance, eager 




THE CHEVALIER LA SALLE. 



very extensive landed and proprietary grants 
from the French king. These priests were 
in great terror continually from the Iroquois 
Indians, who had lately been severely chastised 
by Coursell, the Governor of Canada, and 
their hate was unbounded against the Iweiich, 
stiniul.ited, doubtless, by the English in l>ast- 



for just such an engagement as these priests 
desired to make, which was lo procure a man 
of energy and military capacity who would 
lead any body of armed men they could raise 
to defend Montreal, and the settlements there- 
abouts, from the dreaded Iroquois. They 
give Li Salle a large tract of land nine miles 



402 



A SOUVEi\lR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



above Montreal, their actual outpost of civil- 
ization, which is nov,- known as La Chine, 
above the great rapids of that name. La 
Salle entered upon the improvement of his 
large domain, and began to sell his acres to 
such as he could induce to join him. 

That this young man had come to Canada 
with a settled purpose in view, now began to 
be apparent. He began to study the Indian 
dialects. Hemmed in as he was by the great 
and apparently interminable forests which 
surrounded the palisade he had erected for 
defense against an Indian attack, his fertile 
mind went beyond his narrow environment, 
beyond even the great river which roared and 
fretted upon one side of his domain, and 
soared westward and southward towards an 
easier way to China and Japan than had as yet 
been attained. So imperfect at that time were 
even educated people's ideas as of the earth's 
geography, that La Salle did not understand 
that the countries his enterprising mind would 
reach were upon the other side of the globe, 
thousands of miles away. On one occasion 
he was visited by a band of the Seneca Iro- 
quois, who told him of a river called the Ohio, 
rising in their country, which flowed south- 
ward into the sea. La Salle at once conceived 
the idea that this great river must needs flow 
into the Gulf of California, and thus he could 
find what his soul was on fire to obtain — a 
western passage to China. His resolution was 
soon formed. Obtaining, first, the consent of 
the governors of the seminary to the enterprise 
he had in hand, he sold to them his lands near 
La Chine, in order to raise needed money for 
his enterprise, the whole expense of which 
was to be borne by himself. He purchased 
four large canoes, and engaged fourteen men. 
On the 6th of July, 1670, he set out upon his 
double expedition for exploration and the 
purchase of furs from the Indians. We can- 
not follow his footsteps with the pertinacity of 
Parkman, whose excellent history is before us, 
and can, at the best, only generalize the sub- 
sequent career of this great explorer. 

Thirty-five days after leaving La Chine, they 
reached Irondequoit Bay, on the south side of 
Lake Ontario. Here they remained a month 



or more, and on the 24th of September were at 
an Indian village only a few miles north of 
the present city of Hamilton. These Indians 
proved more friendly than those upon the 
south shore of the lake, and promised to show 
La Salle a more direct road to the Ohio. It 
was here he met Louis Joliet, a young man 
of about his own age, and also an explorer. 
He had come from the southwest, the very 
region La Salle was striving to reach. Paion 
had sent Joliet to explore the copper mines 
of Lake Superior. This meeting caused a 
change of La Salle's plans, for Joliet showed 
him a map of the region he himself had trav- 
ersed, including Lake Superior and the Grand 
River. Step by step La Salle moved west- 
ward, spending much time with the Indians, 
and in 1870-71 he had embarked on Lake 
Erie, descended the Detroit to Lake Huron, 
coasted the shores of Lake Michigan, passed 
the straits of Mackinaw, afterwards reaching 
a river with a southwestern flow (the Illinois), 
which took him into the Mississippi, and lie 
may be said to have been the first white man 
upon that mighty affluent in its upper region. 
It is claimed by some that he also discovered 
the Ohio; but if so, he never descended it as 
far as its junction with the Mississippi. He un- 
doubtedly preceded Joliet, but both La Salle 
and I'rontenac, his ardent supporter, believed, 
as late as 1672, that the Mississippi flowed di- 
rectly south into the Gulf of California, and 
that it thus afforded in reality a direct connect- 
ing link to the Pacific Ocean, across which 
they well knew were China and Japan. 

Circumscribed as our limits are, we are un- 
able to follow La Salle much further. Park- 
man represents him as a man of extraordinary 
determination, full of virile vigor, v.'ith a stal- 
wart frame, and with so enlarged an intelligence 
that the Jesuit Fathers were afraid of him. 
They called him visionary, and unstable, and 
such they have always designated those who 
were not loyal to their teachings or brought 
fully under their influence. 

In Frontenac, however, the Cavalier de la 
Salle had an uncompromising and devoted 
friend. Thus far his dream had been of a 
short route to China; but when he saw the 



CO UN T FRO.V TEN. 4 C. 



405 



grand possibilities of the great valley of the 
Mississippi, with the illimitable prairies which 
we now see niapi)ed out into Illinois, Wiscon- 
sin and Iowa, with the immense forests tliat 
line both sides of the river below Cairo, 
where the Ohio joins the Mississippi, he re- 
linquished as somewhat chimerical, or perhaps 
postponed for a time, his idea of a short route 
to China. Then it was that he resolved to 
leave frozen Canada behind him forever, and 
lead a French civilization into the great 
country he had discovered. It was for him to 
call into light the latent riches of the great 
West. Frontenac, with whom he kept himself 
well allied, favored him in all his efforts. 
They were both great men, and both deserve 
the highest commendation in history. They 
were both faithful to their king and France, 
and their discoveries were of such a character 
as to make every human being in America 
their debtor. 

In April, 1682, after many adventures and 
much opposition from the Jesuit Fathers, 
much struggling with Indian tribes and pass- 
ing through great dangers and heavy toil, at 
the mouth of the Mississippi, he had at last 
the satisfaction of proclaiming " Louis Le 
Grand," king of all that country we now call 
JjQuisiana, and which the English never con- 
quered, but came peaceably into tlie posses- 
sion of the United States by friendly negotia- 
tion and purchase. 

In 1683, somewhat broken in health, he de- 
scended to Quebec and sailed for France. 
Arrived at court, this student and recluse in 
his youth, but backwoodsman in his matured 
manhood, had to encounter the risks of a pre- 
sentation to Royalty and to make headway 
against the intrigues and jealousies which 
always surround a king. Louis XIV, how- 
ever, appreciated him, but the best that could 
be done for him was to give him a divided 



command in .America, which he was to share 
with Beaujen, the jealous and incompetent. 
On July 1 8th, 1684, lie wrote to "his most 
lionoreil mother " that he was about to sail 
with four xx'ssels and four hundred men. This 
voyage to America was principally passed in 
disputations with Beaujen, and when they 
landed at St. Domingo, more than half of the 
people on the vessel w'ere i.>rostrated with 
fever, among them being La Salle. He soon 
recovered, however. Proceeding upon their 
journey they disembarked at Matagorda Bay, 
thinking it one of the mouths of the Missis- 
sippi. Here the Amaible, the ship which con- 
tained nearly all their provisions, was wrecked. 
As we have only imperfectly followed him 
thus far, and have only but slightly sketched 
the character of this great man, we must make 
short work of the matters that led up to his 
death. While upon a journey of exploration, 
anxiously desiring to better the condition of 
the party whom he was trying to lead out of 
trouble, as Parkman graphically expresses it, 
"a shot was fired from the grass instantly fol- 
lowed by another, which pierced through his 
brain, and La Salle dropped dead." Doubt- 
less he was killed by a wretch who had be- 
come disobedient and insolent, and whom La 
Salle had been compelled to rebuke. Thus 
died at the early age of forty-three, Robert 
Cavelier de la Salle, one of the greatest men 
of his age, and one of the most remarkable of 
the explorers whose names live in history. 

His firmness and his courage would have 
left a more marked impression upon his time, 
and he would have been better able to com- 
pletely carry out his grand plans of creat- 
ing in America a New France, had lie been 
less imperious and haughty in his manner, and 
less harsh to those under his command, which 
at last drew upon him an implacable hatred, 
and caused his death. j. a. h. 



COUNT FRONTENAC 

Was perhaps the most remarkable man ever he rose equal to every emergency that con- 
representing the court of France in the new fronted him. His whole career was one of 
world. From very unpromising beginnings, conflict, sometimes petty and personal, some- 



405 



A SOUVENIR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



times involving the greatest consequences. 
Under Frontenac occurred the first serious 
collision between England and France in 
America, which may be said to have been 
the opening of a grand scheme of military 
occupation, designed to hold in check the 
industrial efforts of the English colonies. Ali 
his later energies were directed to making tha"" 
scheme possible. The contemporaneous his- 
tory of those times, so ably prepared by Park- 
man, shows how valiantly New France battled 



newly-wedded pair was short. The wife's 
love soon changed to aversion, which con- 
tinued even after the birth of her son. 

Count Frontenac came of an ancient and 
noble race, said to have been of Basque origin. 
At the ags of fifteen the young Louis showed 
a decided passion for the life of a soldier. 
He served in Holland under the Prince of 
Orange. He was at the siege of Hesdin. He 
was at Arras and at Aire, as well as at Cal- 
ioure and Perpignan. At twenty-three he 




COUNT FRONTENAC 



against a fate which her own lack of organiz- 
ing capacity made inevitable. The drama 
was a great and significant one, enacted 
amidst untamed forests, largely by men who 
had been reared in France, and some of them 
favorite courtiers of the French king. The 
wife of Count Frontenac was Anne de la 
Grange-Trianon. She was born at Versailles, 
and grew up a favorite companion of Madem- 
ioselle de Montpensier, the favorite grand- 
daughter of Henry IV. She was married to 
Frontenac in 1648. The happiness of the 



was Colonel of the Normandy regiment, and 
commanded it in the Italian campaign. 

In 1673 he received the appointment of 
Governor and Lieutenant-General for the 
king in all New France. Notwithstanding all 
his ability as a soldier, it was court gossip that 
he was sent to America to relieve him from 
the unhappy relations he was known to main- 
tain with his wife, whose temper was outrage- 
ous, carrying herself with such a high head 
that her best friend, Mademioselle de Mont- 
pensier, was obliged to dispense with her ser- 



COL NT FRONT EN AC. 



409 



vices as one of lier maids of lionor. Madam 
Fronteiiac declined lo accompanx' her husband 
across the sea. 

Frontenac was TiftN'-two years of age wlien 
he landed al Quebec. Parkman says tliat 
"had nature disposed liim to mehincholy, 
tliere was nuich in his position to awaken it. 
A man of courts and camps, he was banished 
to the ends of the earth, among savage hordes 
and half-reclaimed forests. He exchanged 
the splendors of St. Jermain and Versailles 
for a stern gray rock, haunted by somber 
priests, rugged merchants and traders, blank- 
eted Indians and wild bush-rangers." It was 
his to see that Quebec should be made the 
capital of a great empire, which should be 
trib itary to distant France. He took an ac- 
tive interest in all the duties of his new position. 
It was a strange freak of his that he should 
administer the oath of allegiance to every per- 
son in Quebec. On the 23d of October, 
1672, what was known as the "Three Es- 
tates of Canada" were convoked with 
considerable pomp. To these he adminis- 
tered the oaih, and then the assembly was 
dissolved. This very act, is, in brief, a strik- 
ing illustration of the French colonial rule in 
Canada, It was a government of excellent 
intentions, but of the most arbitrary methods. 
Frontenac unwisely set himself against the 
prevailing democratic current. The arbitrary 
government of a land like France, where the 
Bourbons who " learned nothing and forgot 
nothing" had held sway so long, was not 
adapted to a new country where peo[)le from 
all sections had come to accumulate wealth, 
and (as in all new countries) were possessed 
of very radical ideas of personal freedom. 

The name of Frontenac is one of the most 
interesting in connection with our own Great 
River. Courselle, his predecessor in the 
Governorship of Canada, had begun at what 
we now call Kingston, a fortification large 
enough to receive into its stockade such 
refugees as might desire to fly to a place of 
comparative safety in the event of any Iro- 
quois invasion, which had then but lately 
devastated Quebec, and caused the loss of 
hundreds of innocent lives. Frontenac's 



attention was soon directed to this beginning 
of a fort, and he was fortunate 1)1 making the 
aciiuaiiuance of a )oung man who had been 
in the employ of the French jjricsts at Que- 
bec, and had reached Kingston on his way 
westward to trade in furs and make the ex- 
plorations which were yet to make him 
famous. By direction of Frontenac, La 
Salle had previously gone to Onondaga, the 
political center of the Iroquois, and invited 
the great men of that nation to a council on 
the Bay of Quinte. Before setting out. La 
Salle had sent the new Governor a map 
recommending as a site for the proposed fort 
the ]joint at the mouth of the Cataraqui, now 
occupied by the present grand old historic 
city of Kingston. Frontenac ascended the 
St. Lawrence quite leisurely, with one hun- 
dred and twenty canoes and four hundred 
men. Parkman says : " Soon .they reached 
the Thousand Islands, and their light flotilla 
glided in long line among those watery laby- 
rinths, by rocky islets, where perhaps some 
lonely pine towered like a mast against the 
sky; by sun-scorched crags, where ihe brown 
lichens crisped in the parching glare ; by deep 
dells, shady and cool, rich in rank ferns, 
and sponges, dark green mosses ; by still 
cove, where the water-lilies lay like snow- 
flakes on their broad, flat leaves, till at length 
they neared their goal, and the glistening 
bosom of Lake Ontario opened on their 
sight." 

This grand flotilla, piloted by Indians in 
their birch canoes, entered the broad water, 
passing along the shores so familiar now as 
the site of Port Henry on one side, and the 
" West Point of Canada," upon the other, 
reaching at last the point of land where the 
artillery barracks now stand, at the western 
end of Cataraqui bridge. Here they all dis- 
embarked, and here were subsequently laid, 
broad and massive, the foundation of what was 
subsequently named Fort Frontenac — not so 
named by the Governor himself, but by the 
engineer in charge of the work. [See pp. 28, 
124.] 

It is at this point that La Salle com?s 
prominently into public notice, especially as 



41 o 



A SOUVEMR OF THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER. 



the friend of Frontenac, whose cause he had 
espoused at Quebec during the famous quar- 
rels between the new Governor and the 
priests, whom we describe elsewhere as med- 
dlesome and querulous. 

It is a curious historical fact that the old 
stone fort Frontenac was built by La Salle 
with his own money, he having been sent to 
France by Frontenac with letters of the high- 
est recommendation, and the King had made 
to him a grant of the then fort (a mere stock- 
ade) a tract of land of four leagues in front 
and half a league in depth, including the 
neighboring islands. In consideration of this 
rich grant, La Salle completed the fort, armed 
it at his own expense, and maintained it until 
near the time of his death, when it reverted to 
the King, as did all his great tract of land, if 
we are correctly informed. 

Count Frontenac was too independent and 
able a man to submit quietly to the opposi- 
tion of the priests, who claimed by both 
their rights of seigneurage and of their holy 
office, to interfere with his authority. The 
most violent of these he arrested and con- 
fined in prison, and was in the end sustained 
by his King, the quarrel having been referred 
to France for final settlement. Our space, as 
in the case of La Salle, does not permit us to 
more than glance at some of the more leading 
traits and performances of Frontenac, whose 
abilities were marked and actively developed 
in the new field he had entered upon. But 
there was jealousy between Quebec and Mon- 
treal, promoted by rival fur dealers and shared 
in more or less by the meddling priests, whose 
fingers were in everybody's pie, and the result 
was that in the end Frontenac was recalled by 
his king. For seven years he was idling 
around the French court. But he had power- 
ful friends, and his wife, who seems to have 
been more affectionate when he was under a 



cloud than when his word was law and his 
success apparently assured, became his most 
powerful intrigante at the French court. 

At last the King perceived that he had 
made a mistake in recalling Frontenac, matters 
in Canada having gone from bad to worse, 
until at last his patience was exhausted, and 
he asked Frontenac to again accept the gov- 
ernorship. The Count was then seventy years 
of age, but he was tired of inaction and of 
the petty jealousies of the court of France, 
and finally accepted the appointment. 

We have not space to follow him further in 
his adventurous career. He returned to 
Quebec, but Louis XIV had already entered 
upon his decline from being the first monarch 
of Europe. William of Orange was coming 
to the front in England, and before his judi- 
cious plans and energetic management, France 
was soon to be relegated to an inferior position, 
to lose her possessions in Canada, and, save 
her ever-faithful Louisiana, to give up, one by 
one, all she held in America. But the contest 
was not an uneventful one, though the end 
was inevitable from the first. 

In November, 1698, Frontenac, worn down 
by many arduous labors, and in his seventy- 
eighth year, was taken violently ill. On the 
28th of that month he died, in full possession 
of all his faculties. 

As will be seen, the portrait of this distin- 
guished man, whose name must forever be in- 
separably connected with our Great River, 
was copied from a drawing made as he lay in 
his coffin. It is undoubtedly a faithful por- 
traiture, and we are indebted for it, as well as 
for that of La Salle, to Dr. Neilson, Deputy 
Surgeon-General of Canada, a ripe scholar, a 
gallant officer, an accomplished historian and 
archEeologist, and a true gentleman. [See his 
biographical sketch, p. 347-] J. a. h. 



^Ovf 



^ 



CENTRAL PARK HOTEL, 

"Thousand Islands," St. Lawrenck River. (P. i). St. I.awrknce Pakk.) 
Oi'KN i-ROM June 5TH to Sei'TEmhkr 15T11. 






y 



■^-^ 



^^y->-. 




VIEW IN CENTRAL PARK, SHOWING HOTET. AND liOAT-IIOL'SES. 



/J^THIS fine hotel is one of the most attrac- 
^-\ tive and home-like hotels on the St. 
Lawrence River. The sanitary arrangements 
are perfect; the liouse is supplied with an 
abundance of water, and there are hot and 
cold baths on each floor for ladies and gen- 
tlemen. 

The park has a fine 
roadway to the main 
land, giving oppor- 
tunity for pleasan 
drives in the country. 
This house, location, 
and grounds, are un- 
surpassed on the St. 
Lawrence. T h e 
hotel is only two and 
a half stories high, 
and with the cottages 
in connection there- 
with, affords safe ac- 
commodations, free 
from any danger of 
fire. 

It stands in the 
midst of its own 
charming grounds, 



surrounded by a 
large and beautiful 
park, shaded b_\' 
large forest trees of 
beech, maple, oak, 
pine and hemlock, 
and is immediately 
f)n the bank <i the 
ri\cr. 

'i'hc hotel and 
])ark are situated 
midway lie t w e c n 
Thousand I s 1 a n d 
Park and Alexandria 
l!ay, on the south 
side of the channel, 
and are reached by 
all the local steamers 
on the river, and is 
especially noted for 
i:s beautiful shady 
groves, <|uiet walks, 
interesting surroundings, and freedom from 
noisy interruptions. 

No resort on the river, or among the match- 
less Thousand Islands, affords safer boating, 
better fishing, or more charming views. 

\V.\L 1!. South WORTH, Manager. 




VIEWS IN CENTRAL PARK. 



INDEX 



Abercroinbie, Geu Jaines 

Abbey. Dorephus - 

Alburger. F. N 

Andrews, Chief Judge 

Anderson, Duncan 

Alexandria Bay, shown from Judge 
Spencer's dweUing. 

Alexandria Bay, view of 

Early recollections 

Algonquins, The 

Along the St. Lnwreiice in War Days 

Alvord, Hon. Thomas G., articles 
by 54, 

Among the Thousand Islands, illus- 
trated ... 

Amherst. Gen. Geffrey. Lord ... 48, 

Angell. Geu William H. . . 10, 75, 
Portrait of 

Armstrong, John B 

Arnold, Otis , 

Arthur, President C. A.. 

Autumnal scenes .. 

Awakening of Henry Backus 



15. 

Backus, Henry, awakening of ,. 171, 174 

Bat-wiui; sailing, lllust . .... 159 

Skiffs, illust 247 

Barney, D. N. <£ Co 20 

Barbour. Ammi D ,.. 77 

baker, Col. Lafayette 114 

Bay in La Rue Lsland, illust 173 

Beck with, Captain, of Grant's staff.. 114 

Bell. J. Jones, T.L A US 

Belden, Hon. James J 85 

Beuton. Hon. N . S . 73 

Col. Z. H.. with portrait . 9;*, 141 

Children of ...14-2 

Josephine and Joseph 02 

Mrs Caroline..; 02 

Hon. Thomas Hart 142 

Mr. Col, Benton U2 

Mrs., visit to Paris in 1869 ... 142 

Bethune. Rev. Dr .. ... 57 

Bonaparte in Northern New York. . . 80 

Lake. 33 

Joseph, Kinii of Spain . . . 80, 89, 142 

House at Natural Bridge 213 

Boundary lines -'3 

Black River, some of its features ... 185 

Bon Voyaije, steamer . Ill 

Booth, .John Wilkes 1U7. 109 

Death of 115 

Bradstreet, Col. John 127 

Briggs, the Canadian 2t)3 

Britton, Freeman 312 

Brown, John 183 

Browning, residence of Mr. W. O ... 353 

W. 34 

Brockville. view of river front 517 

Sketch i)f 310 

Insane Asvlum 338 

Legend of'the CHIT 327 

Bruce, Gen. B. F 73 

Buckley, Christopher Ki] 

Burgoyne, Gen. John .52 

Butterfield, Theodore. 139 

Hon. John 100 

Hon. William W 77 

Major-General Dan. 



Cartier, Jacques 

Canada's West Point, illust ... 28, 20 

Cameron. Major-General 31 

Campbell, P 100 

Carlton Island. .50,292 

Illustrated , .. 51 

Sir Guv 53 

Caltborp, kev. Dr 79 

Castorland Colony 182 

and French at 183, 18.') 

Canoe race 277 

Carleton Villa, residence of Mr. 

Wyckoff 304 

Celeron, the family of 01 

Central Park Hotel 413 

Chassnais. Pierre 185 

Champlain the explorer 10 

Chain of Title 13 

Cheney, James A 70 

Charlevoix. Father 103 

Clark. G. M., article by 290 

Clark, the late J. V. H 37 

Clercq, Mtuis. Julius Le 317 

Claus. the family of 61 

Columbia Hotel* 1000 Island Park ... 64 

Comstock Brothers, oarsmen 57 

Conkling, Hon. Roscoe 73 

Cornwall. Hon. Andrew, engraving . 24 

Biographical sketch of 25 

Constable, William 185 

Conspirators, Paine, Mrs. Surrat and 

Harold 107 

Count de Survillers 90 

Coxe, Charles . 89 

Distinguished guests of 91 

Residences built on S3 

Frontenac ....124, 127 

Cooper, Jas Fen i more . 142 

Crespel, Father Emmanuel 43 

Courcelles, M. de 124 

Crossmon. Charles, Sr 57, 65 

Cniiksliank. Ernest 292 

Cuuiinings. James 101 

Curtis, Gen. N. M 83 

Cushman , John P 157 



D. 

Davies. General SO 

Dayan, Rev. J. F., portrait and sketch 71 

De Conrcelle and De Tracy 43 

De la Barre, expedition of 43, 

De Nouville, expedition of 44 

Dewey. Hon. William . 77 

Delafolie, Madame ... 92 

Caroline . ..- . 92 

Depew, Chauucey M 132, 137 

Desjardines, Simon 103 

Deserters from Canada 203 

Directory of the Island.s 244 

Distance Table 240 

Dodd& Co 105. lOfi 

Dont's for excursionists 246 

Durham, Major J. H., biog. and por- 
trait.... 143 



E. 

Early Navigation on the River 234 

Editors' State Association Visit 217 

Ellis, Hon. John D.... 77 



PAGE. 

Emery. Charles G 79 

Euos, Col. W. W 77 

F. 

Fairbanks. Jason.. . ..... 151,158 

Faxton, Thi'odore G 77 

Fayel, William (Author) 249 

John 250 

Fenelon, Franc^ois de Galignac 

Ferryman, Hading the, illust 321 

Fiddler's Elbow .59 

Fine View Hotel 281 

Fisliing on Little Grenadier 182 

Folger Brothers, iliust 329 

"Fontaine a la Claire," 219 

Foret. Count de la 89 

Fort Oswego 198 

Levis 197 

Henry 128, 100 

Frederick 128 

Fowler. Miss Jane C 21 

Melzar 21, 352 

.John N 

Francis de la Roque . 10 

French operations on Lake Ontario . 44 
Owners of the Thousand Islands. 61 

Missionaries . 

Fi-ontenac Fortress, destruction of.48, 190 

Hotel, illust 67 

Count de 193 

Fuller Jerome .' 78 

G. 

Gauanoqne, Past and Present 304 

Gay, Charlie ft! 

Garangula. the Indian chief -43 

Geology of the Islands. 225 

Prof. Hines on 280 

Glen Cove Cottage, illust 359 

Goodale. Dr. A. W., Sketch of 09 

Grand View Park 275 

Grant, General 142 

Grau, Captain . .. . 127* 

Green, Setli. the Fisherman 73 

Old Seth House, Frontispiece. 

Grinnell, Sam 84 

Grouchy, Emanual, Count de 90 

H. 

Haddock, John A., Balloon Voy- 
age 104, 710 

Portrait of. Frontispiece. 
Haddock's History of Jefferson Co. . 21 . 

Hancock, General W. S . 114 

Haldemand. Gen. Sir Frederick 127 

Halstead Bay. Entrance to 260 

Hart. E. Kirk 77 

Hasbrouck House, illust. . 39 

Heriot. the Historian 9 

Health, Value of . . 16 

Hepburn. .V. B 77 

Hiawatha, Legend of 37 

Hoard, Hon. Chas. B 19 

Holland, Dr J. G 84 

Hopkins, of Little Falls 74 

Howell, Dr 391 

Howells. 3[rs. Dean 214 

House Boat, illust 218 

Hubbard House, Clayton 75, 123 

Hungerford, Hon. Orville 19 



4i6 



INDEX. 



I. PAGE. 

I<?e Boat, Wintfi- of 1894-9") 'Zhl 

Itulian Race, a Lpsend of ... 41 

Recorils on ilie River 41 

IndepeiKlence Rock . . . ... \\)'Z 

Ingalls. Hon, L _ 1H3 

Introcliictoiy and Descriptive h 

Invade of tlie Iroquois 44 

In the Rift, iliust, 208 

Irving-, Wasbiingtori 905 

Island Kate, iliust ... 45 

Islander, tlie steamer, iliust 75 

Isleof Do^s 213 

J. 

Jay ville Mines 143 

Jeffreys, I homas 193 

Johnston, Sir William 197 

William -.. ... 157 

Kate 157 

James 77 

Stephen Decatur 19 

Jiidson, Gen R. W^ 144 

Judge Spencer's residence, iliust . :iS 

K. 

Kennedy. Geo. N 7S 

Keyes, Hou, Perley 150 

Gardner 152 

Kingston City Hall, iliust 12.') 

Electric railway 131 

Picturesque .. ... ... 3(j9 

Dry-dock 371 

Churches 373 

Views in 378-39ii 

Kin^, Hon Preston 3fiO 

Kirk. William B 84 

Kuott. Proctor. 74 

Kohl, Johan Georg 205 



12 



Li Famine 

La Rue Island, iliust. ., 
La Salle. .. ........ 

Lake Ridges 

LakH of the Isles, iliust 

La Mountain, John 

Lawton, Sylvester 

Le Ray, Count James D 

Vincent 

Lewis. Ly mail H. 

Light-houses, iliust 

Lincoln's Amnesty to Deserters . ... 

President Abraham 

Assassination of 

''Little Fraud," iliust 

Lehigh, iliust 

Lloyd, John 

Looking East from Smoke Island . . . 

Long, John 

Loring, Capt. John 179. 

Lost Channel, iliust 

Lossing, Benson J . 



M 

Manhattan Island and Judge Spencer, 26 

Martello Towers at KingstitTi 

Mason, Charles". 88 

Massey, Lieut -Colonel 180 

Maple Island and Its Hermit , "94 

McCormick, Mrs. Nettie F 2] 

Medal of Chassnais Co 184 

Men I Have Met on the Great River. 72 

Merick, Hon. E. G., iliust IS 

M.delaBarre 190 

Merick, Fowler & Esselstyn . 21 

McLennan, Peter 15 78 

McCIellau Gen. George B 144 

McKenzie, \Vm. l^yon 15(), 157 

McNab, Sir Allan .... 158 

.Middleton, Sir Frederick 31 

Miller, Hon. Warner 77 

Mille isles of Ci'emizie 224 

Moore, Tom. Boat Song 223 

Morris. Robert S(> 

(Touveineur 89 



PAGE. 

Morton, Gov. Oliver P 105, 144 

Moses, Lucius 84 

Mississagua Indians 207 

Mudd. Dv 113 

Murray, Hon. Amelia M. — .. 191 

Muscalonge, iliust . - 191, 301 

Naphtha Launch, Picture of 55 

Nelson, Hoiner A. 78 

Neilson, Dr. J. L. II., Iliust..., 347 

O. 

Oliver, Col. of the Royal Artillery,. . 31 

Oswegatchie, Indian Mission at 44 

Under the English 49 

Oswego, Captiu'e of 47 

O'Beirne, Major 114 

Old Fort Frontenao and Modern 

Kingston 124 

O'Neal. William 101 

Old Seth Green House, iliust IT 

Old Fort Carlton 51 

Origin of Printing in Canada 335 



Pahud, Hon. Joseph 142 

Pali.'^ades, view in the 325 

Park. E. Kirk 77 

Parker. Hon. A. X 77 

Patter.son, Commodore Ned . . 57 

Patriot W\ar 156, 1(52 

!»ayne. JohnA 108, IKi, 123 

Peel. Sir Robert 157 

Peeler, .loel 1131 

I*ense, E J. It., editor Kingston 

Whig ; 309 

Pharoux, Pierre 183, 192 

Phelps, Russell ;.. , 161 

Pilgrims, the. . . 9 

Piazza of Judge Spencer's Hou^e . 23 

Poetic Associations of the Islands, .. 219 

Popcorn man, iliust lti9 

Post-offices among the islands 240 

Pot-holes near the Palisades. . J47 

Pouchot. Captain 197 

Pratt, Daniel 78 

Calvin E ■ 78 

Prince of Wales.. ,. 311 

Pullman, Geo. ]M 300 

Portrait of 305 

Kesidence of 305 

Family of 361 

Q. 

Quinby, John H 85 

Queen s University, Kingston, Out., 

iliust. ... 132 

Quinte. Bay of .. 198 

K 

Rainy Day at the Islands 15 

Rest; Value of .. i6 

Reindeer Vessels, the Fleet of .. . 20 

Reese, Rev. Dr. , 79 

Real. Count Pierre Fran(;^ois , . . 90 

Ruins of Fort Haldimand 51 

S. 

Savage, Annette. ... . . .... 143 

Search-light E.^cursions. 285 

Sentinels'. The, iliust 9.') 

Seward. Hon. W. H 99, llO, |60 

P'redei ick 99 

Seven Isles, iliust., ... 7, 1 1 

Seth Green, House Rebuilt 17 

Settlement of Castorland ivll 

Seymour, Gov. Horatio 191 

Sherman, Gen. W. T . . 116 

Shaw, Col. A. D' 262 

Short sketch of 274 

Signaling the North King 163 

Skinner, Hon. C. R 77 

W. J 73 



PAGE. 

Smith, Judge 78 

Jesse 19 

Snow in Watertown Streets 3l'3 

Sniper, Gen. Gustavus 80 

Sons nf Libert}' 99 

Initiation into 99 

Spot t Island 235 

Splcer, Hon. Henry. 77 

Family . ... 356 

Spencer, Hon Judge, piazza of his 
house, iliust 

Biographical sketch of 

Portrait of 

Residence of 

Staples, O. G 

Station Island 

Stone, Colonel, portrait of 

Story, James 

St. Lawrence Real Estate Assoc'n 



23 
20 
27' 
29 
367' 
193 
307 
84 
240 

Officers of 240 

St. Lawrence Club-house 241 

Sturgeon Caught in the River 119 

Summer Camp, iliust 87 

Summer Day. A Happy, iliust. . .. 271 

Surrattsville . .... ' 108 

Snrratt, John H 108.109,113 

Mrs ..108 

Sweet, Sylvanus 161 



T. 

Tabernacle at Thousand Island Park, 

iliust 289 

Taylor, Frank H 274 

Porti-ait of 275 

Thayendanagea. Indian Chief. .... 53 

Thousand Island Park 03 

In Autumn 140 

Description of 193 

Club, Members of 243 

Club House 241 

Thompson, Jonathan 255 

Thomson, Hon. Win. M 77 

Tides in the Lakes 233 

Title, Chain of 13 

Topographical f^urveys 232 

Too Big for the Box. 'iliust '190 



Van Horn 

Van Valkenburgh 

Van Voi'st. . - . 

Vanderbilt. William H 83 

Cornelius 

Van Rensselaer, Gen 156 

Van Slyke. Martin .. 

View of Seven Isles, iliust 

View from Judge Spencer's tower 

iliust. 

Victoria. Queen 



78 
136 
135 
157 
161 

11 

35 
191 



■\Vag:ner, Webster - 


. 83 


Walrath of Oneida 


. ... 7i 


Waltons, The Familj- of 


.... 361 


War of irr« 


iTn 


Webb, H. Wallei- 


. ... i.'ia 


Seward 


. .- 1.35 


Weld, Isaac . 


202 


Wells, Bntterfield & Co 


... l:w 


Whittier, the poet 


. . 239 


Whittlesey Affair 


. . inc 


Williams, Hoi). Pardon C ... . 


rs 


Winslow, Hon, Norris 


.... 2ir 


Woolsev, Comnindore 


... . 194 


WoodrufT. Jonah 


160 


Wolf, Chris 


... S3 


Wria:ht, Eenjamin 


, . 193 


W. W 


74 


Wydeiniile, Residence of Dr. Howell 80] 



Yost, Hon. George E 77 

Yachting on the St. Lawrence, iliust, 81 






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